An independent autopsy commissioned by George Floyd’s family determined the cause of his death was “asphyxiation from sustained pressure,” attorneys for the family announced Monday.
No underlying medical conditions caused or contributed to Floyd’s death, medical examiner Michael Baden said at a news conference. He said Floyd did not respond to CPR or cardiac shock in the ambulance that transported him to the hospital.
The manner of death was homicide, the independent autopsy concluded.
The findings differed from the results of the preliminary autopsy from the Hennepin County medical examiner, which found that no evidence of traumatic asphyxia – deprivation of oxygen – or strangulation. The medical examiner concluded that Floyd’s death was caused by “the combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system.”
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyds, said at the news conference that Floyd died outside the corner store.
“The officers killed him based on a knee to his neck for almost nine minutes and two knees on his back, compressing his lungs,” Crump said. “The ambulance was his hearse.”
Antonio Romanucci, another attorney for the family, added that the weight of the other officers, Thomas Lane and J.A. Kueng, prevented blood from flowing into Floyd’s brain and air from entering his lungs.
Crump said Floyd’s family wants former Minneapolis police officer Derek ChauvinChauvin’s murder charge to be upgraded from third-degree murder and manslaughter to a first-degree count and the other two officers to be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Essentially, George died because he needed a breath,” Crump said.
Pockets of the United States descended into chaos over the weekend after more protests over the death of another black man in police custody, leading to another night of fire and fury, prompting President Donald Trump to urge the nation’s governors to use force and take back the streets.
During a conference call Monday, Trump berated the state leaders, calling them “weak,” and urging them to “dominate” protesters, according to officials familiar with the president’s remarks. The conference call followed the latest turbulent night across the nation as protests that began peacefully exploded into mayhem.
Demonstrators clashed with police outside the White House for a third consecutive night. More than half of the nation’s governors have called in the National Guard to help quell the spreading unrest, and at least 45 million Americans were under a curfew on Sunday night.
In some cities, law enforcement officers were seen marching and kneeling with protesters. But elsewhere, police in riot gear continued to increase their use of force, which added to the disorder. On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, ordered a state investigation after a man was fatally shot during an overnight confrontation with Louisville police and the National Guard.
Former president Barack Obama spoke out about the unrest, urging those angered to focus their efforts on state and local elections.
Floyd died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into the 46-year-old black man’s neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd said he plans to visit the scene of the incident this week. “I just want to feel my brother’s spirit,” he said Monday.
More than 4,000 people were arrested across the country during weekend demonstrations, according to The Associated Press.
(c) 2020, The Washington Post · Marisa Iati, Kim Bellware
{Matzav.com}
Well, that sounds definitive!
That being said, when two medical coroners come up with opposite definitive findings, one of them must be lying, intentionally or otherwise.
Seeing as both of these coroners will likely be testifying under oath, whichever one is lying will either have to change their tune or risk perjuring themself.
As to who is lying, there is no clear motive for either to lie straight out. While theoretically, there is the concept of “professional courtesy” where people in law enforcement cover for each other, the likelihood that the government’s coroner would lie for a cop who has already been fired and thrown under the bus, is not very likely.
On the other hand, the privately hired coroner would not be likely to intentionally lie, knowing that he will be forced to testify, and the fact that he already knew the result of the government autopsy, he would have had to see convincing evidence to challenge that report.
Is it possible that they are both lying and the real results are mixed or inconclusive? Who knows?