Defense expert calls Floyd death ‘undetermined’

A medical expert who testified in defense of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin said on Wednesday he believed George Floyd's death while under arrest was the result of heart disease which made his heart beat erratically.

This report produced by Chris Dignam.

[RETIRED FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST DAVID FOWLER]: "Mr. Floyd died of a cardiac arrhythmia due to hypertensive, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during the restraint." The defense's medical expert in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin told the jury on Wednesday that he believed George Floyd's death during his arrest was the result of heart disease, and said it was possible that exhaust fumes could have played a role.

[FOWLER]: "There is exposure to a vehicle exhaust.

So potentially carbon monoxide poisoning." Dr. David Fowler, who was Maryland's chief medical examiner until his retirement in 2019, appeared to dispute at least some of the findings of Hennepin County's chief medical examiner, who ruled Floyd's death a homicide.

Fowler said he would fall back to an 'undetermined' ruling.

[FOWLER]: "So, this is one of those cases where you have so many conflicting different manners.

The carbon monoxide would usually be classified as an accident." Fowler testified that the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in Floyd's blood may also have contributed to Floyd's death, along with possible carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes from the vehicle next to where Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes.

[PROSECUTOR JERRY BLACKWELL]: "You haven't seen any data or test results that showed Mr. Floyd had a single injury from carbon monoxide.

Is that true?

[FOWLER]: "That is correct, because it was never said that it was..." [BLACKWELL]: "I asked you whether it was true, sir.

Yes or no?

[FOWLER]: "It's true." In cross-examination, the prosecution grilled Fowler, who conceded that he did not know for certain whether the police car was still running during the arrest, and he agreed with prosecutor Jerry Blackwell that Floyd should have been given immediate first aid.

[BLACKWELL]: "Are you critical of the fact that he wasn't given immediate medical care when he went into cardiac arrest?" [FOWLER]: "As a physician, I would agree."