Attorneys for three Minneapolis Police officers on trial for their alleged involvement in the death of George Floyd asked the court to sanction prosecutors Thursday.
Attorneys for Officers Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao asked the court to force the prosecutors to submit an affidavit under oath stating they were not behind the media leak which revealed Derek Chauvin was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder, according to The Associated Press.
In a court filing Wednesday evening, Thao’s attorney alleged medical examiners in Hennepin County were coerced to include “neck compressions” with the knowledge of prosecutors.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has denied his office was involved in leaking to the media, while Ellison’s office had no comment on the allegation of witness coercion.
Attorneys for the three former Minneapolis police officers awaiting trial for the killing of George Floyd want prosecutors to be sanctioned and accuse them of not disclosing information about the alleged coercion of a witness. https://t.co/zeO9gMWH12
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) May 13, 2021
Chauvin who was seen placing his knee on Floyd’s neck was convicted in April for second-degree, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. Chauvin is awaiting sentencing scheduled for June 25th.
Lane, Kueng, and Thao are being charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. (RELATED: Defense Witness Says Chauvin Used ‘Justified’ Amount Of Force Against George Floyd)
Thao’s attorney Bob Paule in a recent court filing Wednesday said there was no physical evidence proving Floyd died of asphyxiation.
After consulting with former Washington, D.C. medical examiner Dr. Roger Mitchell, Paule later amended his report to include neck compression as a possible factor. The trial for Lane, Kueng, and Thao is set to take place on August 23rd.