This article originally appeared on CBC Minnesota
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office has released their full and final autopsy report on the death of George Floyd, noting that he had tested positive for COVID-19, but it was not a contributing factor in his death.
In the report — which was released with permission from Floyd’s family — the office’s final diagnoses state Floyd “became unresponsive while being restrained by law enforcement officers; he received emergency medical care in the field and subsequently in the Hennepin HealthCare (HHC) Emergency Department, but could not be resuscitated.”
The most notable detail in the final report is that Floyd had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3. He was still asymptomatic after his death, but had “persistent positivity.”
The medical examiner’s office had issued an additional report on Monday, listing his manner of death as homicide due to “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.” The report also noted he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication, and recent use of methamphetamine and cannabis.
On that same day, Floyd’s family attorney, Ben Crump, released the findings of an independent autopsy that determined Floyd “sustained pressure on the right side of Floyd’s carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe.” From that report, they called for first-degree murder charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Floyd died on Memorial Day while being arrested by four now-former officers. Chauvin is now charged with second-degree unintentional murder after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison upgraded charges Wednesday. Chauvin still faces third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter as well.
Chauvin is seen in bystander videos kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes, despite Floyd’s pleas for help, stating “I can’t breathe” several times.
Former officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng were also charged Wednesday by Ellison with aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Those three men are in the Hennepin County Jail as of Wednesday evening, while Chauvin is currently being held at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights.
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