George Floyd’s Death Caused by “Low Levels of Oxygen”

Medical Professionals Testify George Floyd’s Death Caused by Interacting with Law Enforcement 

Three medical professionals rule George Floyd’s cause of death as a “low level of oxygen”.

Physician and pulmonologist Dr. Martin Tobin testified on April 8 that to a degree of medical certainty George Floyd died from a low level of oxygen also known as asphyxia. 

Dr. Andrew Baker, the chief medical examiner for Hennepin, Dakota, and Scott counties in Minnesota, testified on April 9 that Floyd’s cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest complication from law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.”

On the same day, Dr. Lindsay Thomas, a retired forensic pathologist and former mentor of Dr. Baker, testified that to her degree of medical certainty, Dr. Baker’s cause of death is correct. 

Dr. Thomas said, “There’s no evidence to suggest he would have died that night except for the interactions with law enforcement.”

Floyd died on May 25, 2020 during an altercation with the Minneapolis police. The police were called because Floyd was accused of using an alleged counterfeit bill at a Cup Foods store. Floyd died after being handcuffed and restrained against the street with Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee placed on Floyd’s neck and body for nine minutes and 29 seconds. 

Chauvin is being charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty. 

At the time of his death, Floyd had methamphetamine in his system and a history of heart disease which Chauvin’s defense team argue are crucial factors in Floyd’s death. 

Both Dr. Thomas and Dr. Baker agree that Floyd’s heart was enlarged and that he did have drugs in his system. 

Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s defense attorney, and Dr. Tobin also agreed that Floyd did have heart problems such as high blood pressure. Nelson asked Tobin how Floyd’s heart disease would have affected his respiratory system on the day he died. 

“If the coronary artery is affected and the coronary artery was contributing to shortness of breath you would expect he would be complaining about chest pain.” said Tobin, “You would expect that he would be demonstrating a very rapid respiratory rate, and we don’t see either.” 

Rather than a “rapid respiratory rate,” Tobin said Floyd experienced “small breathes that weren’t able to carry air through the lungs down to the essential areas of the lungs that get oxygen into the lungs.” 

Dr. Tobin testified that Floyd’s shallow breathing and low level of oxygen were a result of being handcuffed and restrained in a prone position against the street and having a knee pressed against his neck and on the right side of his back. 

“Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint. The heart disease did not cause the subdul or neck restraint,”  said Dr. Tobin. 

However, Dr. Tobin is not a forensic pathologist and can only use his medical expertise to form an opinion on Floyd’s cause of death.

In Dr. Baker’s report, he stated the cause of death as a “cardiopulmonary arrest complication” that resulted from the officer’s subdual, restraint, and compression of Floyd’s neck. 

Dr. Thomas explained the use of “cardiopulmonary arrest” versus cardiac arrest. 

“I would use cardiopulmonary arrest to differentiate it from a cardiac arrest. This is not a sudden cardiac death, a sudden cardiac arrhythmia,” continued Dr. Thomas, “this is a death where both the heart and lungs stop working and the point is it’s due to law enforcement subdual, restraint and compression.”  

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell asked Dr. Thomas to tell the jury what that means when all aspects, cardiopulmonary arrest and law enforcement subdual, restraint and compression, are considered together. 

“What this means to me is that the activities of the law enforcement officer resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death,” said Dr. Thomas. 

Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s defense attorney, asked Dr. Thomas to consider a hypothetical scenario where someone who had the same heart disease and levels of fentanyl in their system as Floyd, and if the hypothetical person died without encountering law enforcement if Dr. Thomas would consider that situation an overdose. 

Dr. Thomas said, “In the absence of any of these realities I could consider that to be an overdose.” 

When Dr. Thomas was cross examined by prosecutor Jerry Blackwell she reiterated that the hypothetical scenario presented by Nelson is not how Floyd died. 

“The cause of death was the law enforcement subdual restraint and compression and the manner of death is homicide,” said Dr. Thomas. 

Dr. Tobin, Dr. Thomas, and Dr. Baker all came to the independent conclusion that Floyd’s death was caused by a low level of oxygen that resulted from law enforcement subdual, restraint, and compression.