The autopsy results of the late George Floyd have been released, which indicates that being restrained by Minneapolis Police “likely contributed to his death.” However, the report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner also cited Floyd’s underlying health conditions as well as any potential intoxicants that may have been in his system, according to CNN.
A criminal complaint for former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was seen on video with his knee on Floyd’s neck following his arrest and subsequent death on Monday, stated that the man’s underlying health conditions included coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The complaint also noted that “police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous.” However, Floyd’s official autopsy, which was conducted Tuesday, indicated “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
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Chauvin held his knee against Floyd’s neck for a total of eight minutes and 46 seconds. Nearly three minutes of that time, Floyd was unconscious. The Medical Examiner’s office also released a statement that “awaiting final results from laboratory studies to provide the most medically accurate cause of death determination possible.” It went on to read that “the autopsy alone cannot answer all questions germane to the cause and manner of death, and must be interpreted in the context of the pertinent investigative information and informed by the results of laboratory studies.”
According to The New York Daily News, Floyd’s family are currently seeking an independent autopsy. As attorney Benjamin Crump stated, “we saw in the Eric Garner case and so many other cases where they have these people who work with the city come up with things that are such an illusion.” He added that the family will “have their own autopsy,” and were “not going to rely on this DA or this city to tell us the truth.” Referencing the now-viral video that led to widespread outcry over Floyd’s death, Crump added that “We already saw the truth.”
Following the release of the video, Chauvin, who’s been the subject of a number of complaints during his 19 years as an officer, was fired on Tuesday along with the other three officers who took part in Floyd’s arrest. Although the lack of any arrests led to protests and later riots in Minneapolis and other parts of the U.S., which led to the burning down of the building that houses the city’s 3rd Precinct.
