“There is no evidence to suggest he would have died that night except for the interaction with police officers,” Dr. Lindsey Thomas testified. Floyd's death certificate was shown to the jury.
George Floyd's death certificate was shown to the jury for the first time Friday in the ongoing murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. Floyd's official cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement restraint and neck compression.
It also says heart disease, fentanyl, intoxication and recent methamphetamine use were contributing factors. The finding is a boon to Chauvin’s defense, who is claiming Floyd died from a drug overdose.
The prosecution called retired Minneapolis medical examiner Dr. Lindsey Thomas to counter the findings.
“There is no evidence to suggest he would have died that night except for the interaction with police officers,” Thomas said.
Meanwhile, Chauvin came to court Friday with a mystery woman by his side. She sat a few feet from Chauvin in court, although cameras were not allowed to show her. Chauvin’s ex-wife, Kathie May, divorced him just days after Floyd’s death last May.
A juror was also questioned by the judge about a text sent by her mother-in-law that reportedly declared it “looked like a bad day” for the defense.
