THE death of George Floyd rocked the United States into disarray, igniting a clash between law enforcement officials and Black Lives Matter protestors.
Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a result of asphyxiation from sustained pressure after former police officer Derek Chauvin pinned his knee on Floyd's neck for nines minutes.
What was the autopsy results?
An independent autopsy by Michael Baden and Allecia Wilson revealed that the cause of death was "homicide".
A statement from the Floyd's family attorney read: "Sustained pressure on the right side of Mr 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 Mr Floyd's diaphragm to function."
"From all the evidence, the doctors said it now appears Mr Floyd died at the scene."
Baden added that there were no underlying health problems, despite the official autopsy claiming a heart problem likely contributed to his death.
The former New York City chief medical examiner said: "He was in good health. The cause of death is asphyxia compression of the neck and back.
Baden and Wilson's findings are "consistent with what people saw. There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to his death."
He added: "Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That's not true."
A video went viral that showed Floyd pinned down with a knee from cop Chauvin on his neck and another on his back.
The Minneapolis resident was being arrested after a tip from a grocery store that he had allegedly used a forged cheque.
Police officers said he "physically resisted" them, before Chauvin placed his knees on the handcuffed Mr Floyd.
In the footage, Mr Floyd could be heard saying "I can't breathe" and "don't kill me" before going motionless and his eyes closing.
Why are there two different reports?
The initial autopsy report was produced by the authorities, revealing that Mr Floyd had died at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
The criminal complaint said the autopsy "revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation".
However, the family attorney revealed last week that he was commissioning their own autopsy.
This was as they wanted an independent look, like other families of black men killed by the police.
The attorney said: "What you see on the video is exactly what happened. Those police officers were the proximate cause of George Floyd's death."
When does Derek Chauvin's trail start?
Jury selection begins Monday, March 8, 2021, for the highly-anticipated murder trial of Floyd, the New York Post reported.
The jury selection process will start in Hennepin County District Court in Minnesota, with opening arguments scheduled for no earlier than March 29.
Opening statements could be delayed, however, after a Court of Appeals ruling that said Hennepin District Judge Peter Cahill made an error in dismissing an additional third-degree murder charge against Chauvin.
The trial will be streamed by CourtTV. The network will provide live coverage of the trial with commentary.
Chauvin was fired from the police force after the Floyd incident, and was subsequently arrested.
He has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. A third-degree murder charged could be reinstated depending on the ruling for judge Cahill's error.
The three other Minnesota cops who were at the scene of Floyd's death will also be tried seperately.
J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are due to stand trial on charges of aiding and abetting, second-degree murder, and manslaughter reported the Post.
Source: Read Full Article
