Officer charged over George Floyd's death has been released from jail
11 June 2020, 10:17 | Updated: 11 June 2020, 10:19
Thomas Lane, one of four Minneapolis police officers charged over the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd, has been released from jail after posting a $750,000 bail.
George Floyd's tragic death sent shockwaves across the world, and now, one of the four police officers charged over his murder has been released from jail.
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Thomas Lane, 37 - who was held on a $750,000 bail - left Hennepin County Jail on Wednesday afternoon, a police spokesperson told the Star Tribune.
Lane and two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd, 46, died on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes, despite Floyd repeatedly crying out "I can't breathe".
Chauvin, 42, has had charges against him upgraded from third-degree murder to second-degree murder. All four officers were fired after the incident.
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The news comes after Lane's family set up a website page where they were asking for the public to donate money to support Lane's legal defence, TMZ reported this week.
On the website, Lane's family argue that he did everything in his power to save George's life, pointing out that Lane suggested rolling Floyd on his side, which they and prosecutors claim Chauvin refused to do.
Lane's family reportedly claims Lane called for the ambulance prior to George losing consciousness, and add that the chain of command is the what stopped Lane from doing more.
It is unclear as to whether any funds generated from the public appeal contributed towards Lane's bond amount being met.
Floyd's death lead to protests across the worlds as people call for an end to police brutality and racism in support of the Blacks Lives Matter movement.
Floyd was laid to rest at his final funeral in Houston, Texas this week at the Fountain of Praise Church, which was attended by Floyd's family as well as celebrities including Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo, who sang during the televised ceremony.
