Thomas Lane allowed to leave prison after George Floyd’s murder

MINNEAPOLIS – One of the former Minneapolis police officers convicted in the murder of George Floyd is scheduled to be released from federal prison on Tuesday.

Thomas Lane was one of three officers present when former MPD officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, killing him. Lane was convicted at the state level of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Lane also pleaded guilty to depriving Floyd of his civil rights, a sentence he completed four months ago.

According to the federal prisoner database, Lane's sentence expires on Tuesday. He is currently incarcerated at the Englewood Federal Penitentiary in Colorado, where he was held after his federal sentence expired to serve his state sentence. Lane will be eligible for parole after his release from prison.

Chauvin is serving a 22 1/2-year prison sentence after being convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, both acts considered the primary cause of Floyd's death. Former police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were also convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights and failing to confront Chauvin's use of force.

Chauvin, Thao and Kueng are still in prison serving long prison sentences.