Independent Autopsy Results Revealed In George Floyd Case

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—An independent autopsy conducted by doctors hired by the legal team representing George Floyd's family found he died from asphyxia due to sustained forceful pressure. Attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci, who represent Floyd's family, announced the findings of the second autopsy Monday afternoon.

According to Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, sustained pressure on the right side of Floyd’s carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe. The independent examiners found that weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Floyd’s diaphragm to function. They ruled the manner of death as homicide.

“For George Floyd, the ambulance was his hearse. Beyond question, he would be alive today if not for the pressure applied to his neck by fired officer Derek Chauvin and the strain on his body from two additional officers kneeling on him,” said lead attorney Crump. “Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide by officers who taunted him while holding him down for more than eight minutes. And the officer who stood by doing nothing was a physical blue shield — a living symbol of the code of silence.”

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on Floyd on Tuesday. Preliminary findings showed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. However, according to the medical examiner, Floyd's underlying health conditions, which included coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, combined with the effects of police restraining him and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.

The medical examiners hired by the family of Floyd's legal team dispute any findings that underlying health conditions played a role in Floyd's death.

"There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death,” Dr. Baden said.

Crump said Chauvin’s use of neck pressure for several minutes, including multiple minutes after Floyd said he couldn’t breathe and after witnesses and a paramedic expressed concern for his health and safety constitutes premeditation and warrants a first-degree murder charge.

Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with Floyd's death. The attorneys for the Floyd family wan the three other officers also present at the scene with Chauvin to face charges.

“What we know is this: George Floyd was alive before his encounter with Derek Chauvin and his fellow officers, and he was dead shortly after that. The tragic cause of this death is incredibly clear, and we are fiercely committed to justice for his family," Crump said.

Crump, the family, and the other members of the legal team called on protesters to continue to raise their voices but refrain from the violence and looting.

“On behalf of the family that we understand the righteous anger we see playing out on streets across the country. We support the activism and energy of the people who want to make sure we achieve change, and we hope those efforts continue," Crump said.

“But looting and violence are absolutely unacceptable. They were unacceptable to George, and they must be unacceptable to us. The way to honor George is to achieve justice. As a country, we need to take a deep breath. George Floyd wasn't allowed that, but we must. We have a team of top legal minds who are not going to stop until there's justice for George Floyd and his family.”

The legal team for Floyd's family, which includes Ben Crump Law as lead counsel, Romanucci & Blandin LLC, Newmark Storms Dworak, Pintas and Mullins, and Jacob Litigation, last week filed a petition to bring a wrongful death lawsuit.

Romanucci said that while it was Chauvin’s knee that pressed into Floyd’s neck, it was the culture of the Minneapolis Police Department that was legally responsible for his death.

“The City of Minneapolis clearly had a pattern, custom and practice of failing to train and discipline its police officers, creating a culture of impunity allowing them to treat people of color as lesser human beings, unworthy of basic respect.”

This article originally appeared on the Minneapolis Patch