Floyd family calls for peace

Second autopsy cites asphyxiation as cause of death

MINNEAPOLIS – An autopsy commissioned by George Floyd’s family determined that “asphyxiation from sustained pressure” was the cause of Floyd’s death in an incident that has sparked tense protests and violence across the nation.

Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson performed the autopsy and said there was “neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain,” Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump said Monday. They added that “weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd’s diaphragm to function.”

Floyd, 46, died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes while he was handcuffed, crying that he couldn’t breathe.

Floyd’s brother Terrence urged Minneapolis on Monday to keep his memory alive but to protest in a peaceful manner. He chastised those responsible for violence and looting. “My family

is a peaceful family,” he told a crowd, pointing out rioters may be destroying their own communities. “Let’s do this another way.”

The independent autopsy and the Hennepin County medical examiner have ruled the death a homicide.

The results of the family’s autopsy differ from a preliminary autopsy report as described in a criminal complaint against the officer charged, Derek Chauvin. That autopsy found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.” The report suggests Floyd’s existing health conditions – coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease – combined with being restrained by police and any “potential intoxicants in his system” contributed to his death.

Baden and Wilson said it appeared Floyd died at the scene.

“What we found is consistent with what people saw,” Baden said. “There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death. Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That’s not true.” Crump had strong words Monday. “For George Floyd, the ambulance was his hearse,” he said. “He would be alive today if not for the pressure applied to his neck. ... Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide by officers who taunted him while holding him down for more than eight minutes. And the officer who stood by doing nothing was a physical blue shield – a living symbol of the code of silence.”

Chauvin was charged with third- degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers have not been charged.

JACK GRUBER/ USA TODAY Mourners gather Monday at the site where George Floyd died on Memorial day outside a market in Minneapolis.