Former Officer Tou Thao’s Case Draws Renewed Attention

Update: Thao was released from prison on Nov. 3, 2025, after serving his concurrent federal and state sentences, according to CBS Minnesota.

Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao is once again at the center of online debate, with viral posts arguing he was unfairly imprisoned for his role in the 2020 death of George Floyd.

Many of the posts claim Thao “merely stood by” while managing the crowd and suggest Floyd died solely from a fentanyl overdose. Those claims have sparked widespread discussion, particularly among conservative commentators.

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However, those assertions conflict with the findings of both the courts and the official medical examiner.

Thao was convicted in federal court of violating George Floyd’s civil rights by failing to intervene to stop excessive force and by failing to provide medical aid after Floyd became unresponsive. He was later convicted in Minnesota state court of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The official Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled Floyd’s death a homicide caused by cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement restraint, subdual, and neck compression. The report noted fentanyl intoxication and underlying health conditions as contributing factors, but it did not conclude Floyd died from a drug overdose.

Supporters of Thao argue he was assigned to crowd control, never physically restrained Floyd, and has become a scapegoat for the actions of another officer. Prosecutors argued that, despite not kneeling on Floyd’s neck himself, Thao had both a legal duty to intervene and a duty to provide medical aid once Floyd showed signs of medical distress. Federal and state juries ultimately agreed with that argument.

The renewed debate reflects continuing disagreement over the officers’ individual responsibilities, but the viral claim that Floyd was officially determined to have died of a fentanyl overdose is inconsistent with the medical examiner’s findings and the evidence accepted by the courts.

Also reported by: CBS Minnesota.