George Floyd's death was a homicide, say autopsy results of county officials, Floyd's family

The results of two separate autopsies released on Monday (June 1) declared that May 25 death of black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police was a homicide and the heart of 46-year-old Floyd stopped beating while police restrained him and compressed his neck by kneeling on it.

The separate autopsies were conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office and an autopsy commissioned by George Floyd's family.

The medical examiner's report released Monday listed "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression" as the cause of Floyd's death. The report was released shortly after Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump held a press conference to announce the findings of a family-commissioned autopsy. 

The family autopsy stated "asphyxiation from sustained pressure was the cause" of Floyd's death.

Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson performed the autopsy and said there was "neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain," Crump was quoted as saying by USA Today.

They added that "weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd’s diaphragm to function."

The death of Floyd has sparked massive protests across the US with the deteriorating law and order situation forcing the government to impose curfew in around 40 cities to maintain law and order.

Monday's medical examiner's report indicates that its finding "is not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process."

That autopsy found "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation," according to the document, which suggests Floyd’s coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease combined with being restrained by police and any "potential intoxicants in his system" caused his death.

Baden and Wilson said that it is likely that Floyd died at the scene.

"What we found is consistent with what people saw," Baden said. "There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death. Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That’s not true."

Crump, however, had some strong words on Floyd's death. "For George Floyd, the ambulance was his hearse," he said. "Beyond question, he would be alive today if not for the pressure applied to his neck by fired officer Derek Chauvin and the strain on his body from two additional officers kneeling on him. Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide by officers who taunted him while holding him down for more than eight minutes. And the officer who stood by doing nothing was a physical blue shield – a living symbol of the code of silence."