The cop who knelt into George Floyd's back has been jailed.
J. Alexander Kueng was sentenced to three and a half years, after pleading guilty in October to charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, according to the Daily Mirror.
Former cop Kueng appeared via video feed from a low-security federal prison in Ohio after admitting to holding down Floyd's upper body in a manner not appropriate, in the murder on May 25, 2020.
When asked if he had any remarks to the court, Kueng replied: "Nothing your honour, thank you.”
The prosecutor said: "I really can’t come close to comprehending what the family and friends of George Floyd have had to go through.
“It’s not just watching a video of your loved one dying and seeing it on TV over and over again. Throughout these two and a half years, throughout all the court proceedings, we think of them often and we wish them the best in healing and moving forward.”
He said Kueng “was not simply a bystander in what happened that day”.
Kueng was already in jail after being found guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights and now the two sentences will be served at the same time.
After Keung's guilty plea in October, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said: "J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea.
"That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice."
Keung was part of a team of four cops. Thomas Lane held Floyd's legs while Tou Thao stopped the public from approaching.
Lane, Taho and Keung were convicted of denying Floyd his right to medical care in February. Thao and Keung were also given further convictions for failing to intervene.
Another ex-cop, Derek Chauvin, held his knee down on Floyd for nine and a half minutes.
He was sentenced to 21-years in prison for violating Floyd's civil rights and another 22-and-a-half-year sentence on state charges of murder and manslaughter.
US District Judge Paul Magnuson said at the time: "I really don’t know why you did what you did... To put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is wrong, and thus you need to be substantially punished."
Protests erupted across the globe after the footage emerged showing Floyd saying he couldn't breath as the officers held him down, before he passed out and died.
Black Lives Matter protests were seen all over the world in the wake of Floyd's death.
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