US: Bail set for 3 ex-officers accused in Floyd death

A judge set bail at $750,000 apiece Thursday for three fired Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in killing of George Floyd, as a memorial service took place just blocks away.

Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng made ir first appearances in Hennepin County District Court as friends, relatives and celebrities gared to memorialize Floyd in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Police Department fired m last week, along with Derek Chauvin, who is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's May 25 death. Widely seen bystander video shows white police officer pressing his knee into Floyd's neck, igring African American man's pleas that he can't brea, until he stopped moving.

Defence attorneys argued for lower bail.

Attorney Earl Gray, representing Lane, told court that Chauvin was his client's training officer and that when Floyd died it was only Lane's fourth day on job.

Defendants don't rmally enter pleas during ir first appearances in Minnesota courts, which tend to be brief proceedings. Judge Paul Scoggin set ir next court dates for June 29.

If convicted, Chauvin faces a maximum of 40 years in prison on murder count and 10 years for manslaughter. Under Minnesota law, aiding and abetting second-degree murder is tantamount a second-degree murder charge, so Thao, Lane and Kueng face same potential penalties as Chauvin if convicted.

A date for Chauvin's first court appearance has t been set. He was arrested May 29. latest criminal complaint against him says his actions were a "substantial causal factor in Mr. Floyd losing consciousness, constituting substantial bodily harm, and Mr. Floyd's death as well."

narratives in or three complaints are almost identical to one against Chauvin. complaint against Lane, 37, tes that he asked about rolling Floyd on his side and wondered about delirium, but went on to say that Lane "took actions to assist Mr. Floyd, to change his position, or to reduce force officers were using against Mr. Floyd."

complaint against Kueng, 26, says he was positioned between Chauvin and Lane and could hear ir comments. complaint against Thao, 34, who was seen in cellphone video standing near a crowd of bystanders, says Thao initially got a hobble restraint from squad car, "but officers decided t to use it and maintained ir positions."

Following days of nationwide protests decrying police brutality and discrimination, Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Department of Human Rights ordered a civil rights investigation of police department to determine how to address its history of racial discrimination and find solutions for systemic change.

(Representative Im)