Tou Thao, Third Officer Charged In George Floyd's Death, Released On $750K Bond

Tou Thao, the third Minneapolis cop charged in George Floyd’s death, was released around 11 a.m., Saturday (July 4), after posting a $750,000 bond, the Hennepin County jail records show.

Thao is among the four Minneapolis Police Department officers who were dismissed for the death of Floyd while in their custody on Memorial Day, May 25. He agreed to show himself in court on Sept. 11 to face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony. The police officer is also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence.

The Black American’s death ignited widespread protests against police brutality and racism, not only in the United States but all over the world.

The 34-year-old officer was, reportedly, made to choose between a $1 million bond without any prerequisites or a $750,000 bond with conditions, according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Two other officers, Thomas Lane, 37, and J. Alexander Kueng, 26, were released last month, each on $750,000 bonds. On the other hand, 44-year-old Derek Chauvin, the main accused, remains in Oak Park Heights prison, pending his posting of a $1.25 million bail.

A complaint filed in June against the four officers states that Thao used a hobble restraint on Floyd, but his colleagues opted not to use it and decided to maintain their positions. Court documents further described how the cop stood guard against bystanders while the other three officers pinned the Black American to the ground by kneeling on his neck, back, and legs.

Reports say that Thao, at one point, became concerned about the size of the crowd who had gathered at the scene, recording the incident on their mobile phones. Documents filed court states that they “were watching the officers subdue Mr. Floyd, and potential traffic concerns, and so the defendant stood between those citizens and the three officers."

Video footage taken by a bystander showed Chauvin kneeling on the Black American’s neck while he was handcuffed. The clip also recorded Floyd crying out in distress, saying that he cannot breathe. After a few minutes, onlookers were heard on the video telling the officers that the detainee has lost consciousness and appeared to be unresponsive. All four officers were fired a day after Floyd's death.