Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao is speaking publicly again after serving more than three years in prison for his role in the 2020 arrest of George Floyd, using a new interview with Alpha News host Liz Collin to sharply criticize the prosecution, the media, Minneapolis police leadership, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Thao, one of four former officers convicted in cases connected to Floyd’s death, appeared on Collin’s podcast shortly after taking part in Alpha News’ documentary Minnesota Mao. During the discussion, he argued that he and the other officers were caught in what he called a politically driven process rather than a fair search for accountability.
His comments were wide-ranging and deeply personal. He spoke about losing years with his wife and children, accused officials of hiding evidence and shaping a public narrative, and claimed that some people involved in the cases were later rewarded for helping advance that narrative.
Those are Thao’s views, and many of his claims remain disputed or unproven. But the interview shows that the legal and political fallout from Floyd’s death continues to shape how the former officers, their supporters, critics, and Minnesota leaders talk about the case years later.
Thao Says the Case Was Political From the Start
Collin introduced Thao as a former Minneapolis police officer who had served for nearly nine years before responding to the May 25, 2020 call involving George Floyd at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue.
According to Collin, Thao was assigned to keep bystanders back while Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng dealt with Floyd and waited for emergency medical help to arrive.
Thao told Collin he believed the direction of the case became clear almost immediately after political leaders and national media became involved.
“Pretty much almost immediately,” he said, when asked when he realized his case was no longer about justice. “They changed the narrative and you kind of get a sense that this was going to be a different story than what actually happened.”
Thao said he and the other officers wanted body camera footage released quickly because, in his view, it would show transparency and prove they had nothing to hide.
“We didn’t have anything to hide,” he said. “So for them to not show body cameras is really an indictment on what they were trying to do behind the scenes.”
That claim reflects Thao’s interpretation of how the case was handled. Publicly released body camera footage, bystander video, courtroom testimony, and medical evidence were central parts of the criminal proceedings against the officers, but Thao argued that authorities selectively built their case around a predetermined story.
He also criticized the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s questioning during his interview, calling it “narrative-driven” and saying investigators asked only the questions they wanted answered.
The interview did not include a response from the BCA or prosecutors to Thao’s allegations.
Criticism of the Trial Setting and Media Coverage
Thao also revisited how he and the other officers were brought through public areas during court appearances.
He told Collin that moving parts of the proceedings to family court, rather than keeping them inside the Hennepin County Government Center, exposed the officers to hostile crowds and created what he viewed as a staged media moment.
According to Thao, the government center had more secure underground access, while the court location used in his case forced the defendants to walk past protesters and cameras.
“It essentially allowed us to be fed right out into a mob,” Thao said. He called the situation “pure theatrics.”
His remarks point to a broader complaint that has followed major criminal trials for years: whether courts can fully protect juries, defendants, witnesses, and the public from outside pressure when a case becomes national news.
At the same time, the Floyd case was not an ordinary local prosecution. The arrest and death sparked global protests, intense public scrutiny, and demands for accountability from people who believed the videos showed a clear abuse of power.
That reality created pressure on every side. Thao argues the pressure harmed the defendants. Critics of the officers have long argued that without public attention, the case may never have received the level of scrutiny it did.
Both views can exist at once. A defendant is entitled to a fair process, while the public also has a right to demand answers in a case involving the death of a man in police custody.
Thao Attacks Katie Blackwell’s Testimony
A major part of the Alpha News interview focused on Katie Blackwell, who led the Minneapolis Police Department’s training division and testified during Derek Chauvin’s trial.
Collin said Blackwell testified that she did not recognize the restraint technique used on Floyd. She also said more than a dozen officers later signed declarations accusing Blackwell of perjury.
Thao strongly attacked Blackwell’s credibility.
“A true leader stands for the truth no matter what the cost is,” Thao said. “And to me, Katie Blackwell did exactly the opposite.”
He accused her of “self-elevation” and “self-preservation,” and said her testimony in federal court conflicted with what she said during Chauvin’s trial about whether the Minneapolis Police Department trained officers in a maximum restraint technique.
Thao went further, saying Blackwell had used the legal system to silence criticism. He called her “a disgrace to that badge” and said, in his opinion, her badge number should never be used again.
Those are serious accusations. The interview presents Thao’s view, but it does not independently establish that Blackwell committed perjury or that her testimony was intentionally false.
The dispute over police training has remained a key issue because it goes directly to whether the officers acted within department policy, ignored their training, or misunderstood what the department allowed under pressure.
That question was central to the criminal cases, yet it has also become part of a larger public fight over how police training, supervision, and leadership should be judged after a high-profile death.
Thao Claims Walz and Cahill Rewarded Allies
Collin also asked Thao about Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over Chauvin’s trial and Thao’s case.
She noted that Cahill was later appointed by Gov. Tim Walz to a state council connected to documenting the truth of Operation Metro Surge.
Thao said the appointment had “the appearance of quid pro quo,” suggesting Walz was rewarding people who were willing to do his bidding.
He said Cahill had already decided he was guilty before hearing his full defense and accused the judge of helping carry out a predetermined political outcome.
“This is the person that Governor Walz is appointing,” Thao said. “Perhaps he is the perfect person to implement a predetermined narrative to meet a judgment that Walz wants.”
Thao then delivered the line that became the title of the interview, saying Walz and Cahill were “like two peas in a pod.”
“They wouldn’t know the truth if it hit them in the face,” he said.
Those comments were pointed political criticism, not evidence of misconduct. Neither Walz nor Cahill responded within the interview, and no independent finding was presented to support Thao’s claim that the appointment was tied to the Floyd prosecutions.
Still, the exchange shows how deeply Thao believes that the criminal justice system, politics, and media coverage became connected in his case.
Life After Prison and a Message to His Children
Near the end of the interview, the tone changed from legal criticism to family life.
Thao told Collin that one of the hardest parts of prison was missing major years in the lives of his children. He said he was now trying to rebuild those relationships and show them that they had not been abandoned.
“It’s been great to be back with my children,” Thao said. “Missing three years of really important parts of their life is just trying to catch up to them.”
He said he wanted to teach his children integrity, perseverance, and truth, even during difficult circumstances.
“As a father, I can demonstrate to them integrity and truth and perseverance no matter what the difficulty is,” Thao said.
Collin described Thao as a man of faith and said supporters had called him an inspiration. She also mentioned that a GiveSendGo campaign had been created to help his family.
Thao thanked Collin and Alpha News for giving him a platform. “Thank you for trusting me and putting out the truth,” he said.
A Case Still Dividing Minnesota
Thao’s interview does not settle the arguments around George Floyd’s death, the convictions of the officers, or the wider debate over policing in Minneapolis.
Instead, it shows how far apart the competing narratives remain.
To Thao, he was caught in an unfair political and media system that needed convictions to satisfy public anger. To many others, the prosecution of Thao, Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane was a necessary response to a death that became a symbol of police misconduct and institutional failure.
The difference between those views is enormous, and there is little sign that it will disappear anytime soon.
What makes Thao’s comments significant is not simply the force of his language. It is that he is now speaking from outside prison, still under supervised release, still defending his actions, and still arguing that the public has not been told the full story.
Whether people agree with him or not, the interview reflects a continuing struggle over truth, accountability, policing, and public trust in Minnesota long after the events of May 25, 2020.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
