As conflicting stories about George Floyd’s autopsy continue to be up for discussion, new reports state that he previously tested positive for COVID-19. George Floyd lost his life at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25 while handcuffed, face-down on the ground. On Wednesday (June 3), details of his autopsy results made by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office and Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker that stated Floyd was asymptomatic after testing positive for coronavirus back on April 3.
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Yahoo News reports that the 20-page document also states that George Floyd’s “lungs appeared healthy but he had some narrowing of arteries in the heart.” Previously, the medical examiner shared that Floyd’s death was caused by a number of factors including health issues, fentanyl intoxication, and methamphetamine use. The findings didn’t list asphyxia as a cause of death.
However, the Floyd family enlisted world-renowned forensic pathologist Michael Baden to perform an independent autopsy. Dr. Baden didn’t agree with the medical examiner’s report and stated in a press conference that George Floyd “died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.” His finding caused the third-degree murder charges against former police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, to be increased to second-degree. The three other officers on the scene were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
