A retired medical examiner testified today in the ongoing trial of George Floyd, a former white U.S. police officer accused of killing an African-American man, that Floyd died of a heart attack caused by his own heart condition, drug use and other factors.
David Fowler, who will serve as chief medical examiner in Maryland until his retirement in 2019, told a Minneapolis, Minnesota, court that George Floyd died of a heart attack that caused his heart rhythm to become irregular.
However, this statement contradicts the opinions of several medical experts. Multiple experts said Floyd died from a lack of oxygen. Floyd was lying on his back, face down and handcuffed, when Derek Chauvin squeezed his neck with his knee for more than nine minutes.
The incident, which took place on May 25, 2020, was filmed by passersby and went viral on the Internet, sparking a wave of demonstrations across the United States and around the world against police brutality and racial injustice.
However, Fowler said he does not believe Floyd died of oxygen deprivation and would classify his death as “undetermined.
Fowler, who is from South Africa, said Floyd’s heart was enlarged and “all coronary arteries were significantly narrowed” and that he died of an irregular heart rhythm due to elevated blood pressure during suppression and his own atherosclerotic disease.
He said Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with the potential role of carbon monoxide, contributed to his death.
According to Fowler, Floyd was near the exhaust of an unlit police car when he was pinned down by Shaw and other officers; Fowler said he does not believe Floyd died from carbon monoxide poisoning, but that it was a potential factor in his death.
Shawn was charged with second-degree murder and faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted.
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