BREAKING NEWS: Rookie Minneapolis cop Thomas Lane, one of the four officers charged in George Floyd’s death, LEAVES jail after posting $750,000 bond
- Thomas Lane, 37, who had been held in lieu of $750,000 cash bail, was freed shortly before 4:10pm from the Hennepin County Jail
- Lane is one of three charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection to the death of Floyd
- His attorney, Earl Gray, said the embattled rookie cop accepted bail with conditions and is currently back living with his wife
- His next court appearance is slated for June 29 where Gray says he plans to file a motion to dismiss all charges
Thomas Lane, 37, who had been held in lieu of $750,000 cash bail, was freed shortly before 4:10pm from the Hennepin County Jail
One of the four fired Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd posted bail and was released from custody Wednesday afternoon.
Thomas Lane, 37, who had been held in lieu of $750,000 cash bail, was freed shortly before 4:10pm from the Hennepin County Jail, a spokesperson from the Sheriff’s Office told the Star Tribune.
Lane is one of three charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in connection to the death of Floyd, 46, who died on Memorial Day.
His attorney, Earl Gray, said the embattled rookie cop accepted bail with conditions and is currently back living with his wife, though declined to specify where citing safety reasons.
Lane had been locked up for the past week. His next court appearance is slated for June 29 where Gray says he plans to file a motion to dismiss all charges.
‘Now we can watch what happens next from outside,’ Gray told the Tribune. ‘We will bring a motion to dismiss and hopefully it will be granted.’
According to charging documents, Lane (seen far right) – who initially took Floyd into custody – held down the father-of-five’s legs, while Keung held his back and Chauvin kneeled down on his neck for eight minutes and 45 seconds
Lane’s co-defendants, Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng remain in jail as of Wednesday evening.
According to charging documents, Lane – who initially took Floyd into custody – held down the father-of-five’s legs, while Keung held his back and Chauvin kneeled down on his neck for eight minutes and 45 seconds.
Gray has previous stated that the case against his client is ‘weak’. He says that Lane asked Chauvin if Floyd should be rolled over onto his side amid the 46-year-old’s cries of ‘I can’t breathe’.
The attorney also protests that Lane attempted to resuscitate Floyd in the ambulance moments before he was pronounced dead.
‘[Lane was] pounding on this guy trying to revive him. Where is the willful intent?’ Gray asked.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with his bail set at $1.25 million.
Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng, meanwhile, who face the same charges as Lane, are still being detained in lieu of $750,000 cash bonds as of 6:31pm.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in relation to George Floyd’s (right) death, with his bail set at $1.25 million.
Lane’s family members had set up a fundraising page for the ex-cop earlier this week, asking the public for donations in a perceived bid to get him out of jail.
The author of the fundraiser called Lane’s bail amount – originally set at $1 million – ‘unreasonable’, and said the 37-year-old did ‘all he could to save George Floyd’s life’.
‘This shows a total disregard for equal justice under the law,’ the author thundered.