Chauvin, 44, was arrested last week and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. But on Wednesday prosecutors charged him with a more serious count of second-degree murder.
Lane and Kueng helped restrain Floyd, while Thao stood nearby.
All three officers appeared before Judge Paul R. Scoggin wearing orange prison uniforms and masks. Each stood inside a cubicle at a downtown Minneapolis courtroom. A plexiglass window provided a hole to speak through.
Thao appeared first. His lawyer noted that Thao provided a statement to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and turned himself in when an arrest warrant was issued.
Attorneys for the two other defendants worked to contrast their clients' experience as police officers with Chauvin's,*who spent more than 18 years*with the Minneapolis Police Department.
When Floyd's death took place, it was Kueng's third shift as a police officer, said Thomas Plunkett, his attorney. Chauvin, he added, was Kueng's training officer.
Plunkett said Kueng turned to Chauvin at one point and said, "You can't do this."
Lane had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died, according to his attorney Earl Gray. Lane was "doing everything he thought he was supposed to do as a four-day police officer," Gray said.
"You've got a 20-year cop in the front and my guy is in the back there with four days," Gray said after his court appearance. "I don't know what you're supposed to do as a cop."
When asked by CNN whether he was implying Lane was following orders, Gray said no. But his client thought that what he was doing was right, Gray said, because Chauvin refused to turn Floyd on his side after Lane asked if they should.
All defense lawyers argued for lower bail.
Lane and Kueng helped restrain Floyd, while Thao stood nearby.
All three officers appeared before Judge Paul R. Scoggin wearing orange prison uniforms and masks. Each stood inside a cubicle at a downtown Minneapolis courtroom. A plexiglass window provided a hole to speak through.
Thao appeared first. His lawyer noted that Thao provided a statement to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and turned himself in when an arrest warrant was issued.
Attorneys for the two other defendants worked to contrast their clients' experience as police officers with Chauvin's,*who spent more than 18 years*with the Minneapolis Police Department.
When Floyd's death took place, it was Kueng's third shift as a police officer, said Thomas Plunkett, his attorney. Chauvin, he added, was Kueng's training officer.
Plunkett said Kueng turned to Chauvin at one point and said, "You can't do this."
Lane had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died, according to his attorney Earl Gray. Lane was "doing everything he thought he was supposed to do as a four-day police officer," Gray said.
"You've got a 20-year cop in the front and my guy is in the back there with four days," Gray said after his court appearance. "I don't know what you're supposed to do as a cop."
When asked by CNN whether he was implying Lane was following orders, Gray said no. But his client thought that what he was doing was right, Gray said, because Chauvin refused to turn Floyd on his side after Lane asked if they should.
All defense lawyers argued for lower bail.
