George Floyd Murder: Independent Autopsy Finds the Man Died of Asphyxia Due to Neck, Back Compressions

By Staff, Agencies

An independent autopsy ordered by George Floyd's family ruled that the 46-year-old's death was an asphyxia-related homicide.

"Sustained pressure on the right side of Mr. Floyd's carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe. The independent examiners found that weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd's diaphragm to function," Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said in a Monday statement.

The autopsy, led by medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, concluded Floyd's May 25 death was therefore a "homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain."

The results from the family-ordered autopsy comes contrary to the preliminary autopsy cited last week by Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which claimed there were "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation."

"George Floyd was a healthy young man," Crump argued during a live press conference.

Baden was called upon in 2014 to perform an autopsy on Eric Garner, the New York City man who died after being placed in an illegal chokehold by New York Police Department officer Daniel Pantaleo. Garner's last words, "I can't breathe," were also uttered by Floyd in his final moments.