A second independent autopsy on George Floyd’s body revealed that he died of suffocation, according to American media. The autopsy was commissioned by the Floyd family.
Among other things, the local newspaper Star Tribune reported that .
According to the newspaper, the autopsy report says that Floyd was taken out of breath by an agent pressing his back. Also, not enough blood went to Floyd’s brain from printing another agent. According to the report, 46-year-old Floyd already died where he was arrested and not in the hospital, as previously believed.
The court doctors said earlier that they did not assume that Floyd was suffocated, but that he died of a combination of factors. They mentioned other health problems in combination with drug use and the struggle with the police.
Floyd died last Monday after a cop held his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than six minutes. Other agents also detained the man during this time. Bystanders filmed the incident and asked the agents to release Floyd. He said he couldn’t breathe. His death sparked major protests against police brutality and racism across the U.S.
The family has requested this second autopsy because they do not trust the outcome of investigations by pathologists of justice, family lawyers said earlier . They pointed in a statement to past cases with black Americans, who were killed when the police were deployed.
The family engaged forensic pathologist Michael Baden. Baden previously conducted an independent investigation into Eric Garner’s death. This black American man died in 2014 shortly after he had been grounded hard on arrest.