George Floyd died because the officers who held him in the prone position and handcuffed him prevented him from getting enough oxygen, a respiratory expert testified Thursday in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
“Mr. Floyd died of low oxygen levels,” said Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist with the Veterans Health Administration hospital in Hines, Ill., And the Loyola University Medical Center, who was brought in by prosecutors to testify. the low oxygen level was shallow breathing, short breaths. “
Dr. Tobin and a forensic toxicology expert on Thursday will arrive at the end of the second week of testimony and the day before Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, will testify. Dr. Baker, who performed Mr. Floyd’s official autopsy, is expected to play an important role in helping determine the cause of his death.
Dr. Baker ruled that Mr. Floyd was a murder – meaning someone else’s actions contributed to his death – but he has stated to federal authorities investigating the case that he found no evidence of asphyxiation or injury to Mr. Floyd.
Dr. Tobin, who was not paid to testify and said he had seen video footage hundreds of times of Mr. Floyd’s arrest last year, concluded that several factors were interfering with his breathing, including being trapped between the officers and the street. while officers shoved his handcuffed hands into his back.