Autopsies say George Floyd’s death was homicide

Preliminary results from an independent autopsy commissioned by George Floyd’s family found that his death in the custody of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was “homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain,” according to a statement from the family’s attorney.

The latest: An updated official autopsy released by the Hennepin County medical examiner also determined that the manner of Floyd’s death was “homicide,” ruling it was caused by “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdued, restraint, and neck compression.”

Why it matters: Both the independent autopsy and the updated official autopsy contradicted preliminary findingsfrom the Hennepin County medical examiner, who found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxiation or strangulation,” according to charging documents against Chauvin. Continue reading.