Ex-MPD officer Thomas Lane released from prison Tuesday
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane, who was convicted in connection with the killing of George Floyd, was released from prison on Tuesday.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that Lane was released from custody.
Lane, 41, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in May of 2022.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed he would be brought to the state for his release, though it did not give a timeline for when he would return.
Lane must serve one year of supervised release, and the Minnesota DOC confirmed that Wisconsin will be in charge of his supervision.
“Thomas Lane served his time and paid his debt to society,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. “I wish him well in his re-entry into his community.”
He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison and three years in state prison. The sentences were served at the same time, with the state allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in federal prison in Colorado.
As previously reported, Lane finished his federal sentence in April.
“I have really mixed emotions,” said Paris Stevens, Floyd’s cousin, who added that no amount of time was sufficient for what happened.
She knew that this day would come.
“Hopefully, him changing his actions in the future and making better decisions, that’s all I can hope for,” Stevens said.
Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins represents the south Minneapolis area where Floyd was killed. She feels the city is now making strides to redesign the area at 38th and Chicago.
“It was triggering, it set off some emotions that I hadn’t felt in a while, I’m sure that’s reality for a number of my constituents,” Jenkins said. “I feel like we are starting to move past that towards solutions.”
Floyd’s cousin helped start the Rise and Remember organization that works on racial justice issues trying to create a more equitable world.
You can find KSTP’s full reporting on the murder of George Floyd here.