George Floyd Had Coronavirus, Autopsy Confirms

According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s autopsy results, released on Wednesday, George Floyd, the African-American man who died at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, had previously tested positive for coronavirus.

The 20-page autopsy report was released with the permission of Floyd’s family. Along with other medical conditions listed, the report revealed Floyd’s April 3 COVID-19 test came out positive. The examiner also concluded Floyd was asymptomatic.

Coronavirus, however, wasn’t the cause of Floyd’s death. As per the preliminary Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, Floyd died of “a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer(s).” Meanwhile, an independent autopsy report, ordered by Floyd’s family, contradicts the preliminary autopsy results, reporting the cause of death was asphyxia due to neck and back compression during the arrest. Dr. Michael Baden and the University of Michigan Medical School’s director of autopsy and forensic services, Dr. Allecia Wilson, conducted the autopsy procedure.

Floyd died at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, when he knelt on Floyd’s neck during the arrest. Chauvin was arrested and initially charged with third-degree murder, with the charges upgraded on Wednesday to second-degree murder. Three other officers, present at the murder scene, were on Wednesday charged with aiding and abetting.

Article by Polina Kuznetsova