Well, I presumed the point was obvious from my post, but I'll clarify. As is clear from the video, Officer Thao did little more than provide crowd control for the other officers at the scene. Yet, he was immediately terminated from his job and charged with a serious felony. So I'm asking, as you watch this video, if you think he's guilty of Aiding and Abetting 2nd degree murder. The Minnesota statute reads as follows:
A person is criminally liable for a crime committed by another if the person intentionally aids, advises, hires, counsels, or conspires with or otherwise procures the other to commit the crime.
Do you think Tou Thao is guilty of that?
Gee, I don't know. That is up to a jury to decide, that is our system and a prosecutor to decide if there is enough cause to charge and then a judge to decide if what is shown at a preliminary is enough to go forward. That is our system. I certainly am not saying it is a perfect system or never used or abused...
There are TWO officers here who I think perhaps do not deserve the same view as the other two and none deserve what Chauvin does imo. One cop DID say something or try to--Lane. He deserves the least of any of them. And even may have been worth keeping in the job as he as a rookie said something. He did not challenge a superior who would dare?? but he did put it out there, twice I believe.
The two long term cops deserve the most. And that would be Chauvin and Thao. Thao was the one of the bunch who MAY have been able to say something to Chauvin as Thao was an 11 year officer of the force--about Chauvin letting up on his HOLD. The only one with any guts or attempt to do the right thing was a rookie against two senior officers--Thomas Lane, I think he is the main one unfairly charged.
Yes, Thao is aiding by MN law. He is complicitly aiding. He has 11 years and he does not say one thing to stop it. Does it even bother him? Or is this the routine? Yet a rookie tries to say something who probably wants to keep his new job.
All of that said, is he the one who had the foot on Floyd? No. Yet that goes back to the letter of the law. In many states some youth was with a friend on a theft or what he thought was only going to be a theft and the friend murdered someone and the one who had no clue goes away for years along with the friend as they were present.
Cops should know even better than any what the actual law is... Pretty hard for me to believe Thao did not know long term veteran of the PD that he was...
Watching that video, you will probably try to argue or pick an argument, but maybe not and maybe you will surprise and agree, but my first thought when they were trying to get him out of the car and force him out of the car, etc. was just leave him. No danger, he was not hurting anyone else, he was not driving... Just leave him closed in there and surround the car and wait him out and do not let anyone drive off with the car... This was a call about a bill that was fake currency not a murder or injury to anyone... Hardly a big time emergency situation or hold...
The other thing that struck me in this video was Floyd was if not combative, immediately resistant... This is where I would hate to be LE. What are they to do? However, they have rules. Yet they weren't followed as far as what Chauvin did. But then some are written rules and then there are the silent department rules...
Finally, the bystanders going on and the one saying she was with the fire department etc.... And the officers are dumb enough to comment on this later on body cam about she says she is with the Mpls FD and about the black man that said he did the LE test etc. and they joke about it recorded??? NOT smart.
However, it gave a political look to me that almost seemed planned from the very start and just look where the case went and what occurred with it nationally... And with protests and all...
I will stop there. You are asking about Thao. I think this video shows a lot about many things that should be addressed... I don't believe they will be though in any right way, they will be in ways that are used for the purpose of whoever and whatever... And for the show of whoever... Or the vote...
So, I don't know... I am not really arguing nor agreeing... And honestly I think higher ups were just fine with this practice or way of doing things... And the cops are blamed...
www.cnn.com
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