AMERICA – Former Minneapolis Police Department Officer J. Alexander Kueng turned himself in around 1:35 p.m. June 3 for aiding and abetting the second-degree murder of George Floyd.
J. Alexander Kueng was born on July 27, 2022. He was born to math teacher Joni L. Kueng, 56, and certified nurse anesthetist John Dennis Kueng. Kueng attended Patrick Henry High School and played for the Cruz Azul Minnesota Soccer Club as a defensive midfielder. His initial desire was to play football in college, stating in a personal statement to Next College Student Athelete (NCSA), “I just know that I absolutely want to play football in college. My teammates have always been phenomenal players…they have also been great examples of what an exemplary player is. But above all, he shows great sportsmanship on and off the field regardless of the outcome of the game. I took those lessons with me into my high school years.”
Kueng graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018 and worked part-time as campus security. While in college, he worked as a theft prevention officer at Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis for nearly three years. Kueng had been an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for less than six months. He received his law enforcement license in August 2019 and was sworn into the Minneapolis Police Department in December 2019.
Kueng, 26, the youngest of the four Minneapolis police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd, was charged with aiding and abetting (aiding another in the commission of a crime) second-degree involuntary manslaughter and manslaughter. He completed his one-year probation just three months before Floyd’s arrest. Kueng had no prior complaints or lawsuits against him.
There were 3 other police officers present at the George Floyd incident with J Alexander Keung: Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and Derek Chauvin. The initial interaction with George Floyd occurred when officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng responded to a 911 call from two employees — both minors — who reported a man buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill at Cups Foods Market on May 25.
Documents obtained by HollywoodLife indicated that officers approached Floyd’s car, with Officer Thomas Lane questioning Floyd and Kueng questioning the front seat passenger. Lane ordered Floyd out of the vehicle to handcuff him, and all four officers attempted to get Floyd into a police car. According to witnesses, Lane and Kueng restrained George Floyd’s legs and back while police officer Tou Thao ordered bystanders to clear the area. Officer Derek Chauvin pinned George to the ground with his knee pressed against his neck for approximately nine minutes, his last words being “I can’t breathe”. When the ambulance arrived, Kueng checked his pulse. George Floyd was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo fired Kueng on May 26, along with three other officers. According to Kueng’s attorney, Thomas C. Plunkett, Kueng was “asked to turn himself in to the charges” and was in custody 15 minutes later.
