The family of the unarmed black man who died in police custody, George Floyd, rejected the initial results released by the medical examiners who did the autopsy on Floyd. The family had a private autopsy conducted and the results will be sent on June 1.
Cause of death
The lawyer of the family, Atty. Ben Crump, said that they do not believe that the conclusion of the autopsy is correct.
The autopsy was done by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office, and it showed that they did not find any physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation even though in the gruesome viral video, Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee of Floyd's neck for 9 minutes.
According to CBS News, the report also stated that Floyd had underlying health conditions including hypertensive heart disease and coronary artery disease. The report concluded that Floyd's underlying health conditions, Chauvin's restraint, and possible intoxicants in the victim's system contributed to his death.
Atty. Crump released a statement on May 31 that he and Floyd's family reject the notion from the Minneapolis Medical Examiner that the knee from Officer Chauvin on Floyd's neck was not the cause of his death.
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George Floyd died on May 25 after Officer Chauvin, who is now fired from the force along with the other three police officers on the scene, restrained him by placing his knee on his neck for almost 9 minutes.
The video immediately went viral on social media, and Floyd can be heard pleading for help and telling the officer he can't breathe. The incident has sparked anger and it set off protests across the United States.
Former officer Derek Chauvin is now facing third-degree murder and manslaughter charges. Atty. Crump stated on Face the Nation that Chauvin's sentence was not enough as he should be charged with first-degree murder.
Black Lives Matter protest go global
Aside from the nationwide Black Lives Matter protest in the United States, other countries have voiced out their support and their disdain on police brutality.
In the United Kingdom, hundreds of demonstrators were gathered at Trafalgar Square in London. People were kneeling in solidarity at 1 p.m. on May 31. Although mass gatherings were prohibited due to the coronavirus pandemic, the demonstrators were still able to show their support by being socially distant from one another.
The people were seen carrying signs that read, "Racism has no place," "Justice for George Floyd", "I can't breathe," "Enough is enough" and "Black lives matter." The crowd chanted "No justice, no peace." The crowd also marched to the US Embassy located in Battersea, according to BBC, and they were also seen in Cardiff and Manchester.
In Germany, people also gathered to support the Black Lives Matter movement. A crowd gathered at the US Embassy in Berlin on May 30. On May 31, they demanded justice for Floyd's death in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
Their signs read "Black future matters," "Suffocate the racists," "Justice can't wait," and "We are all the same and equal," and "We will not be silent." Pictures taken from the protest showed people standing with their hands around their necks, the line "I can't breathe" written on their face masks and people kneeling.
