A private autopsy ordered by the family of George Floyd has found that he was killed by asphyxia due to ‘neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain’.
Attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci, who are representing the family of George Floyd, announced the findings of the independent autopsy Monday afternoon.
Also Read: George Floyd’s Death: Thousands Join UK Protest
Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson were hired by the Floyd family’s legal team to conduct the independent autopsy.
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The pathologists say the sustained pressure applied by Officer Derek Chauvin on George Floyd’s neck impeded blood flow to his brain, while weight applied by another officer, who had placed both of his knees into his back, also impeded his ability to breath.
Their independent evaluation also found that Floyd had ‘no underlying medical problems that caused or contributed to his death.’
‘The compressive pressure on the neck are not seen at autopsy because the pressure is released by the time the body has come to the medical office. It can only be seen when the pressure is being applied – or in this instance in the video.
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‘This is confirmed by information from myself, from Dr. Wilson, and from the family,’ Baden said. ‘[Mr. Floyd] was in good health.‘
The cause of death was ruled mechanical asphyxia, with the manner of death ruled a homicide.
‘George died because he needed a breath,’ Crump said during a Monday afternoon news conference. ‘I implore all of us to take a breath for justice, to take a breath for peace, to take a breath for our country and to take a breath for George.’
Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day after being restrained by officer Derek Chauvin, who had pinned him to the ground and kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, ignoring his repeated cries of ‘I can’t breathe.’
An autopsy conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office last week greatly differs from the findings of Baden and Wilson.
That autopsy found ‘no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.’ The report also said Floyd had underlying health conditions, including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease.
In conclusion, the medical examiner ruled Floyd likely died from a combination of underlying health conditions and potential intoxicants in his system that were exacerbated by the restraint placed on him by police officers.
But the notion was vehemently rejected by the Floyd family in the hours, who then enlisted the services Baden to conduct a second, independent autopsy.
The family called the medical examiner’s claims that Floyd had underlying health conditions ‘an illusion’.
