George Floyd's Death: What Happened At The Hospital?

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after being arrested by police outside a shop. Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while he was handcuffed and lying face down. Floyd exhibited signs of anxiety and complained of being unable to breathe before his death. In this incident, three other officers were involved: Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao. Floyd was pronounced dead at the Hennepin County Medical Center about an hour after the incident.

George Floyd's heart had stopped when he arrived at the hospital

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after being arrested by police outside a shop. Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while he was handcuffed and lying face down on the street. Two other police officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd. Lane had also pointed a gun at Floyd's head before he was handcuffed.

Floyd's treatment by police was captured on widely seen bystander video that sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, with some protests descending into violence. The area near the location where Floyd was murdered became a makeshift memorial, with many placards paying tribute to him and referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.

During the trial, Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that Floyd could have died from a heart condition or the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his system. However, Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, conducted Floyd's initial autopsy and determined that his heart and lungs stopped functioning due to police restraint and neck compression. Baker ruled Floyd's death a homicide and testified that police officers' restraint of his body and compression of his neck were the primary causes.

Dr. Bradford Langenfeld, the emergency room doctor who pronounced Floyd dead, testified that Floyd's heart had stopped by the time he arrived at the hospital. He said that he was not aware of any efforts at the scene by bystanders or police to resuscitate Floyd, but paramedics told him they had tried for about 30 minutes. Langenfeld also stated that Floyd's heart most likely stopped due to a lack of oxygen.

Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck for over nine minutes

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed, lying face down, and complaining that he could not breathe.

Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he had used a counterfeit $20 bill. Lane and Keung, two other responding officers, attempted to walk Floyd to their squad car, but he stiffened up and told them he was claustrophobic. Chauvin and Thao, another officer, then arrived in a separate squad car.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get Floyd into the backseat of the police car, Chauvin pulled Floyd out of the car, and he landed face down and still handcuffed. Chauvin placed his left knee on the back of Floyd's neck, and Floyd began saying that he could not breathe. Lane asked, "Should we roll him on his side?", to which Chauvin responded, "No, staying put where we got him."

At 8:24:24, Floyd stopped moving and became unresponsive. In total, Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for three minutes and 51 seconds while he was unresponsive. Before he lost consciousness, Floyd exhibited signs of anxiety, complained of claustrophobia, and repeatedly said that he was unable to breathe.

The incident sparked widespread protests across the United States and the world, with people demanding justice for George Floyd and an end to police brutality. Chauvin was found guilty and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. Three other officers involved in Floyd's death, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, have also been given prison time.

George Floyd complained of breathing difficulties and fear of imminent death

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death, which occurred during an arrest by four police officers, sparked protests against police brutality and racial injustice in over 2,000 cities across the United States and around the world.

Floyd's murder was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest, according to the official autopsy report conducted by Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner. The report also concluded that there were no life-threatening injuries and that Floyd's heart and lungs stopped functioning due to subdual, restraint, and neck compression by the officers involved. During the incident, Floyd repeatedly complained of breathing difficulties and expressed his fear of imminent death.

Before being placed on the ground, Floyd exhibited signs of anxiety and claustrophobia, stating that he was unable to breathe. As the officers restrained him, Floyd became increasingly distressed, continuing to complain about the pressure on his neck and his inability to breathe. He pleaded with the officers, stating, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Please, one of you listen to me." At one point, he also said, "They're going to kill me," as the officers pinned him to the ground.

Despite Floyd's clear distress and his warnings that he was struggling to breathe, the officers, led by Derek Chauvin, ignored his pleas and those of concerned bystanders. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, even after Floyd became unresponsive and silent. When urged to check Floyd's pulse, officer J. Alexander Kueng found none, but Chauvin still refused to lift his knee. This continued even after emergency medical technicians arrived and confirmed that Floyd had no pulse.

The murder of George Floyd highlighted the issue of excessive force and racial bias in policing. The officers involved, Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, were all found guilty and sentenced to prison terms. The case sparked widespread outrage and prompted calls for police reform and accountability, leading to changes in police policies and increased scrutiny of law enforcement practices.

Four police officers were involved in George Floyd's arrest and were charged

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd was arrested after a store clerk reported that he had used a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the street. Two other police officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd. Lane had also pointed a gun at Floyd's head before he was handcuffed. A fourth officer, Tou Thao, prevented bystanders from intervening. Before being placed on the ground, Floyd had exhibited signs of anxiety, complaining of claustrophobia and an inability to breathe. After being restrained, he became more distressed, repeatedly stating that he could not breathe. During the final two minutes, Floyd was motionless and had no pulse, but Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck and back even as emergency medical technicians arrived to treat him.

The medical examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, determined that Floyd's heart and lungs stopped functioning while he was being restrained and that his death was a homicide caused by "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression". While Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system, expert witnesses concluded that he did not die of an overdose or because of his drug use. Rather, these conditions simply made him more susceptible to the stress of the situation.

All four officers involved in Floyd's death were deemed "complicit" by the Minneapolis police chief, Medaria Arradondo, who fired them swiftly after the incident. However, initially, only Chauvin was charged with murder and sent to jail, while the other three officers were released. This prompted widespread criticism and protests demanding justice for George Floyd, with his brother stating, "My brother – he’s in the morgue. That’s not right." Eventually, the other three officers were also convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights. Lane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter and was sentenced to three years in prison. Chauvin was convicted on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison.

The murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests in over 2000 cities worldwide

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the street. Three other officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd. Lane had also pointed a gun at Floyd's head before he was handcuffed.

Floyd's initial autopsy was conducted by Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner. Dr. Baker determined that Floyd's heart and lungs stopped functioning while he was being restrained and compressed by the police officers. He concluded that the manner of Floyd's death was homicide. However, the defense attorneys for Derek Chauvin focused on the presence of fentanyl and other illicit substances in Floyd's system during the murder trial. Ultimately, Chauvin was found guilty and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. The other three officers involved were also given prison time for their roles in Floyd's death.

The murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests and calls for police reform, with a particular focus on racial justice and police brutality. Protests took place in over 2,000 cities worldwide, including in the United States, Australia, Japan, France, Colombia, and Nigeria. The video of Floyd's arrest and murder quickly went viral, becoming an inflection point that sparked the largest civil rights protests in US history. The protests continued for over a year and brought attention to issues of structural racism and police reform.

Artistic impressions of George Floyd's likeness became an icon of the protest movement, with paintings of Floyd appearing on exterior walls in many cities worldwide. The protests also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to concerns about the potential spread of the virus during large gatherings. Nonetheless, the movement sparked a global reckoning with racism and inspired conversations about race relations in various countries.

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