Autopsy commissioned by George Floyd's family finds death was 'homicide caused by asphyxia'

An independent autopsy has determined that George Floyd's death was "homicide caused by asphyxia."

The early findings of Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson's autopsy, which was ordered by Floyd's family, were announced on Monday, ABC News reports. They found that Floyd died from asphyxia "due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain."

Video emerged last week showing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck while he said he couldn't breathe. The footage sparked nationwide outrage and protests across the country, and Chauvin has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Contradicting the independent autopsy's findings, charging documents last week said that the Hennepin County medical examiner's preliminary findings found "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxiation or strangulation," Axios reports, although The New York Times notes the full report is still pending.

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Additionally, "weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd’s diaphragm to function," a statement from attorney Ben Crump said on Monday.

While the previously-released criminal complaint had cited "underlying health conditions" that "likely contributed to his death," Baden said in a press conference that Floyd had "no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to his death."