Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane was released Tuesday after serving time in prison in connection to the death of George Floyd.
“Four years as a pariah, four years without income, four years of fear and the prospect of no career, no future. Even so, Thomas is determined to rebuild his life,” states a website dedicated to telling his story and raising money for his family.
Lane, one of the four officers who was on the scene when Floyd died, was sentenced on state and federal charges and sent to a federal prison in Colorado. While incarcerated, Lane has worked as a math tutor and helped inmates obtain their GED. He has also served on the suicide watch while in prison.
The website explains that Lane’s life was changed on May 25, 2020, his fourth shift as a Minneapolis police officer, but contends that he followed his police training to the letter on that fateful day.
“When Mr. Floyd resisted getting into a police vehicle, Thomas offered to put the squad car’s AC on and sit with him. When Mr. Floyd was restrained on the ground, Thomas spoke out and twice suggested rolling him on his side,” the website reads. Lane was also the one to call for an ambulance and to perform CPR on Floyd.
Three other officers were also convicted after the incident and are serving time in prison: J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao, and Derek Chauvin.
Lane had completed his field training four days prior to May 25, 2020. “Being a Minneapolis police officer was a job Thomas was passionate about, one he believed would allow him to give back to Minnesota, the state he’d always called home, all the way through graduation from the U of M,” the website says.
Lane’s family is raising money to help him rebuild his life after prison on a GiveSendGo page.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
