Ex-cop who held George Floyd down will be released from Columbiana County prison

A moment of history that shook the nation for months will continue to be played here in the Valley as a former Minneapolis Police Officer will be released from a prison located a half hour south of Youngstown.

According to NBC Minneapolis affiliate, KARE, J. Alexander Kueng is scheduled to be released Wednesday from the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, Columbiana County where he was serving time for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

J. Alexander Kueng  

Kueng, 31, admitted that he helped hold down George Floyd on May 25, 2020, as fellow officer Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, causing Floyd’s death.

Kueng, who had been serving a three-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, was also convicted in Minnesota state court.

As part of a plea agreement, Minnesota prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder against Kueng.

The State and Kueng jointly recommended that the state sentence be served concurrently at Elkton with Kueng’s federal sentence.