An autopsy report of George Floyd, the African-American who died on 25th May in Minneapolis police custody was released on Wednesday with detailed clinical reports suggesting that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in April.
The 20-page report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office was cited in The New York Times (NYT) stating that the 46-year-old Floyd tested positive for the Coronavirus on 3rd of April. Although, his death was caused due to a heart attack while being held by the Minneapolis officers and it was classified as a homicide.
According to the NYT report, one of the top medical examiners in the county, Andrew Baker said that the Minnesota Department of Health had swabbed Floyd's nose after he died and it tested positive for the virus. The report also said that the result could be from his previous infection. The report also mentioned that although Floyd's lungs seemed healthy, he had some narrowing of arteries in the heart.
It further mentioned how the possibility of his death due to the virus is none. The county's previous report listed fentanyl intoxication and recent usage of methamphetamine under "other significant conditions" and not listed under "cause of death." The full report mentioned that fentanyl can cause "severe respiratory depression" and seizures.
The nationwide protests which have sparked due to the viral video showing the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin forcing his knees on Floyd's neck in spite of his "I can't breathe" cries, finally leading to his death have taken a violent form in many places including New York.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has upgraded charges against Chauvin to 2nd-degree murder and has also charged the three other present officers with aiding and abetting. Ben Crump, Floyd's family attorney had earlier decried the official autopsy for not including asphyxia. The autopsy commissioned by Floyd's family stated that his death was caused due to asphyxiation aided by the neck and back compression.
