Authorities recently charged former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin with murder in connection with George Floyd’s death in May, which stemmed from an altercation involving counterfeit money. The incident set off a series of protests around the world.
Three other officers were also charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd.
Defense Attorney Eric J. Nelson – lawyer for Derek Chauvin – said that George Floyd was the victim of a careless overdose rather than police officers and is requesting the judge to drop all charges.
Nelson has claimed that prosecutors have failed to show probable cause for charging his client with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The former police officer insists he carried out the “Maximal Restraint Technique,” approved by the Minneapolis Police Department policy, which is used in situations where handcuffed subjects are combative and still pose a threat to others. This is in several training materials on the use of force, which shows an officer placing a knee on a subject’s neck in order to subdue them.
Minneapolis Police Chief, Medaria Arradondo, said Chauvin had been trained in the dangers of positional asphyxiation and characterized Floyd’s death as a murder. He pointed out that he has never seen an officer place a knee on someone’s neck when they are facedown, handcuffed.
However, the autopsy report brings some clarity to the situation. While mainstream media continues to support the violent riots that broke out because of his death, it should also be cited that Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system, otherwise known as a speedball. The post-mortem report also showed Floyd had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, hypertension, and sickle cell trait. He had also tested positive for the virus COVID-19, which he had told officers at the time of his death.
There is also bodycam footage of the arrest that shows a “white spot” on Floyd’s tongue. He was in the process of swallowing 2 milligrams of fentanyl, a lethal dose, to avoid being caught with drugs.
“Put simply, Mr. Floyd could not breathe because he had ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl and, possibly, a speedball. Combined with sickle cell trait, his pre-existing heart conditions, Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine most likely killed him,” Nelson argued. “Adding fentanyl and methamphetamine to Mr. Floyd’s existing health issues was tantamount to lighting a fuse on a bomb,” Nelson said.
It’s interesting to see the media twist the stories of our men and women in blue, being that Floyd had so many apparent causes and drugs in his system. If he had just been found dead at home alone, this would be acceptable to call an overdose, but not when an officer is present.
The autopsy report also found no apparent bruising or trauma to Floyd’s neck, neck muscles, or back as a result of the restraint. The court hearing is set for September 11, in which the judge will address Nelson’s motion.
The media will spin this story into the death of an American hero, without looking at all of the details of the autopsy and police report. But hey, when does a liberal ever do research, right?
