Tou Thao, one of the four fired Minneapolis police officers convicted in George Floyd’s killing during an arrest nearly 5½ years ago, was released from prison Monday.
Thao, 39, was convicted in state and federal courts for his role in connection with the murder of Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Thao kept back bystanders as Floyd was restrained and was “deliberately indifferent to Floyd’s medical needs,” according to the federal case against him, which ended with his conviction of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Robert Paule, Thao’s attorney, said his client “is happy to be back with his family.”
Thao wrapped up his prison time in a federal facility in Lexington, Ky. He’s now on supervised release until June 2027 in connection with his sentence in Hennepin County District Court.
He sought to challenge his federal conviction, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined in January 2024 to review his case.
Before Thao became a Minneapolis police officer in 2012, he worked as a supervisor in a fast-food restaurant and as a security guard for a medical device manufacturer.
Two of Thao’s accomplices were freed earlier. J. Alexander Kueng, 32, left the federal prison in Lisbon, Ohio, in January 2025 and remains on supervised release until March 2026 stemming from his state conviction.
Thomas Lane, 42, was released from the federal prison in Littleton, Colo., on August 2024, and his supervised release ended a year later. He restrained Floyd’s back as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.
