One of the four police officers involved in the fatal arrest of George Floyd was released on bail Wednesday, according to Minnesota’s Hennepin County Prison Database.
The 37-year-old police officer, Thomas Lane, was conditionally released from jail after posting a bond for $750,000, or about €660,000.
Floyd, a black American, died at the hands of a white police officer Derek Chauvin in May. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, which is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
Lane and the other two officers present at the arrest were charged for aiding and abetting the murder.
Lane was on his fourth day of service as a Minneapolis Police officer on the day of Floyd’s death. The four officers involved were fired. Lane’s next hearing is scheduled for June 29th.
George Floyd’s death triggered a wave of protest against police violence and racism in general in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world.
Last Sunday, a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Brussels was followed by riots and looting.
Floyd’s death has also reawakened the controversy surrounding former Belgian King Leopold II, and several of the King’s statues have been defaced or removed.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
