Independent autopsy says Floyd asphyxiated

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd, is pushing to upgrade the charge against former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin from third-degree to first-degree murder. An independent autopsy performed at the family’s request said neck and back compression killed Floyd after Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes during an arrest attempt on May 25. The initial autopsy conducted by the Hennepin County, Minn., medical examiner’s office did not find anything “to support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”

How is Floyd’s family? His younger brother Terrence Floyd on Monday visited the spot outside a Minneapolis deli where Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground. He pleaded with protesters to demonstrate peacefully: “If I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are you all doing? … That’s not going to bring my brother back at all.”

Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger’s report about Floyd’s life and faith.