Exclusive: Tou Thao talks about faith, “corrupt” justice system, racism
In an exclusive interview, former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao shared his beliefs with investigative reporter and documentary producer Liz Collin.
Thao—in his first public interview since his trial for aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd—said that he has lost trust in the justice system. "It's obviously controlled by the elites. If you're not a part of the elites' narrative, they're going to try to destroy you," Tao said.
As a Hmong-American, and officer Derek Chauvin’s partner for several years, Thao’s perspective challenged the narrative and the myths of mainstream media. When Collin asked Thao whether racism played a role in the George Floyd case, he replied:
“It was obviously an election year. Historically, that narrative is going to be pushed to divide the country and then forgotten until next election year. It had nothing to do with this case.
Thao also shared his thoughts on religion and how the criminal justice system in America has become “corrupt.”