Doctors have ruled George Floyd’s death was a homicide with an independent autopsy finding he died from “mechanical asphyxia”.
The family of the African-American man, whose death in Minneapolis police custody last week has triggered nationwide protests, ordered for the independent autopsy.
Today Dr Michael Baden, one of the doctors who performed the autopsy at the behest of Mr Floyd’s family, said during a news conference in Minneapolis that the deceased had no underlying medical conditions that contributed to his death.
Dr Baden said Mr Floyd’s death was caused by pressure on both the man’s neck and by the knees of two officers on his back.
This deprived the 46-year-old’s body of oxygen and caused “neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain.”
Lawyer Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci, who represented the Floyd family, announced the findings of the autopsy on Monday afternoon.
The family’s legal team hired Dr Michael Baden and Dr Allecia Wilson to carry out the independent autopsy following Mr Floyd’s death last week.
Pathologists said the ongoing pressure applied to Mr Floyd’s neck by officer Derek Chauvin stopped blood flow to his brain.
The weight that was put onto Mr Floyd’s back also hampered his ability to breathe.
It was also ruled that the death was similar in manner of a homicide.
Mr Crump said: “George died because he needed a breath. I implore all of us to take a breath for justice, to take a breath for peace, to take a breath for our country and to take a breath for George.”
In an emailed release, Dr Baden said: “What we found is consistent with what people saw.
“There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death. Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That’s not true.”
After being pinned to the ground by police, Mr Floyd, 46, died in police custody.
In the minutes leading up to his death, Mr Floyd said: “I can’t breathe.”
British singer Adele Adele has become the latest celebrity to condemn police violence against black people following the death of Mr Floyd.
Protesters have taken to the streets in cities around the world – including London, New York and Los Angeles – amid fury over Mr Floyd’s death.
Adele shared a picture of Mr Floyd and called for the movement against police violence not to get “disheartened, hijacked or manipulated right now”.
She wrote on Instagram : “George Floyd’s murder has sent shockwaves around the world, there are countless others that haven’t.
“Protests and marches are happening all over the globe simultaneously and only gaining momentum.
“So be righteously angered but be focused! Keep listening, keep asking and keep learning!”
Adele added: “It’s important we don’t get disheartened, hijacked or manipulated right now.
“This is about systematic racism, this is about police violence and it’s about inequality.
“And this isn’t only about America! Racism is alive and well everywhere.”
The officer who was pictured with his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and taken into custody on Friday.
He has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.