The Hennepin County Medical Examiner Testified In The Derek Chauvin Trial On Friday
The third week of testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial starts today. The prosecution is expected to call its final witnesses this week. On Friday, The Hennepin County Medical Examiner emphasized that the direct cause of death from his autopsy of Floyd last May remained unchanged. Dr. Andrew Baker said it’s still a ‘cardiopulmonary arrest’ as a result of Floyd being subdued, restrained and his neck compressed by law enforcement adding that Floyd’s drug intake or underlying heart issues are ‘contributing causes’. During questioning from defense attorney Eric Nelson, Baker said he included heart disease, the history of hypertension and the drugs in his system on the death certificate because they played a role in Floyd’s death. He also said he didn’t find anatomical evidence Floyd died by asphyxia or low oxygen.
Also on Friday, Dr. Lindsey Thomas a former Hennepin County Medical Examiner who trained Dr. Baker also testified. She said “this is not a sudden cardiac death” and added “this is a death where both heart and lungs stop working due to law enforcement subdual, restraint and compression.” Last year, a family commissioned autopsy found Floyd’s death was a homicide caused by ‘asphyxiation from sustained pressure.”