Former officers Thao and Kueng intend to appeal federal convictions

Both men were convicted of violating George Floyd's civil rights and sentenced to serve prison time

US-JUSTICE-RACISM-POLICE-FLOYD
Former Minneapolis Police Officers J. Alexander Kueng (R) and Tou Thao (L) arrive with attorney Thomas Plunkett (C) at the District Court in St. Paul on Jan. 11.
Kerem Yucel | AFP via Getty Images file

Two former Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd intend to file appeals in federal court, asking that their convictions be overturned.

Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng filed notices of appeal Wednesday. Both were sentenced in federal court in late July for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Thao and Kueng were both on duty and present at the scene in May 2020 when their colleague, former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Chauvin was later convicted of murder in state district court. 

Federal juries in the cases against Thao and Kueng found that both of them failed to intervene when Chauvin was kneeling on Floyd.

Kueng was sentenced to three years in prison and Thao to three and a half years in prison. They each were found guilty of two counts of violating Floyd's civil rights.

According to court documents, Kueng is appealing both his sentence and conviction. Thao is appealing his conviction. 

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