MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – A Minneapolis medical examiner has classified George Floyd's death as a homicide, saying his heart stopped as police restrained him and compressed his neck.
In a report released Monday, the Hennepin County medical examiner said Floyd’s cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
The medical examiner's report also lists heart disease and hypertension as “other significant conditions," along with fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.
The release of the medical examiner’s report comes hours after Floyd’s family released the findings of their independent autopsy, which showed Floyd died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.
The independent autopsy by a doctor who also examined Eric Garner’s body found the compression cut off blood to Floyd’s brain, and weight on his back made it hard to breathe.
A widely seen citizen video that shows Floyd struggling with a police officer holding his knee on his neck has sparked protests nationwide.
The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, as well as manslaughter.
Chauvin and three other officers have been fired for their role in the 46-year-old’s death, but many are calling for the other officers to be prosecuted as well.