Derek Chauvin is on trial for George Floyd’s death

Three medical experts testified today about why they believe George Floyd died and what was found in his system in May 2020.

Here’s what they said today during the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin:

Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, testified after having reviewed the medical records in the Floyd case.

“Mr. Floyd died from a low level of oxygen,” Tobin testified. “And this caused damage to his brain that we see and it also caused a PEA arrhythmia, that caused his heart to stop.”

PEA means pulseless electrical activity, “which is a particular form of abnormal beat of heart — an arrhythmia,” he explained.

He also shared his opinion on the cause for the low level of oxygen in Floyd. “The cause of the low level of oxygen was shallow breathing. Small breaths. Small tidal volumes. Shallow breaths that weren’t able to carry the air through his lungs down to the essential areas of the lungs that get oxygen into the blood and get rid of the carbon dioxide.”

Tobin also testified that fentanyl did not have an effect in “causing depression of the respiratory centers” in Floyd. Tobin said that with fentanyl, Floyd’s respiratory rate should have been 10, instead the rate was at 22, which is normal.

“Basically it tells you that there isn’t fentanyl on board that is affecting his respiratory centers. It’s not having an effect on his respiratory centers,” Tobin told the prosecution.

Tobin noted that the normal range for a respiratory rate is between 12 and 22. Tobin testified that Floyd’s respiratory rate was 22 just before he lost consciousness.

Dr. William “Bill” Smock, emergency medicine physician with specialized training in forensic medicine, testified that Floyd died because of a lack of oxygen in his body.

“Mr. Floyd died from positional asphyxia. It is a fancy way of saying he died because he had no oxygen left in his body,” Smock said. “When the body is deprived of oxygen, in this case from his chest pressure and back, he gradually succumbed to lower and lower levels of oxygen until it was gone and he died.”

Smock also discussed the nature of strangulation and whether bruising is something that always occurs. “You can be fatally strangled, die of asphyxia, and have no bruising. The presence or absence of a bruise on a human body, is dependent upon a multiple different variables. How much pressure is applied? How is that pressure applied? How frequently is that pressure applied?” Smock said.

Dr. Daniel Isenschmid testified that fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in the blood taken from Floyd at the hospital. Floyd’s fentanyl concentration was 11 nanograms per milliliter, Isenschmid said. Norfentanyl, a drug that it breaks down into, was recorded at a level of 5.6, he said.     

The norfentanyl concentration could indicate fentanyl was taken and then some of it had already broken down, or it could indicate someone took a dose of the drug, then later took another dose, Isenschmid explained.  

The impact of fentanyl on someone can vary person to person, due to tolerance, he said.

Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning when testimony is expected to resume in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.

Dr. William “Bill” Smock, an emergency medicine physician with specialized training in forensic medicine, wrapped up his testimony this afternoon.

He told the court that there was no evidence that George Floyd had a heart attack.

Smock said Floyd died because of a lack of oxygen in his body.

Dr. William “Bill” Smock, an emergency medicine physician with specialized training in forensic medicine, testified that officers should have begun administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to George Floyd the moment they couldn’t feel a pulse.

Smock’s comments were made following a question from prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

Dr. William “Bill” Smock, an emergency medicine physician with specialized training in forensic medicine, testified about the nature of strangulation today and whether bruising is something that always occurs.

Smock added: “You can be strangled to death and still have no bruises.”

Dr. William (Bill) Smock, emergency medicine physician with specialized training in forensic medicine, testified today that George Floyd died in May 2020 because of a lack of oxygen in his body.

Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in the blood taken from George Floyd at the hospital, a forensic toxicologist testified in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.   

Floyd’s fentanyl concentration was 11 nanograms per milliliter, Dr. Daniel Isenschmid, from private testing company NMS labs told the jury. Norfentanyl, a drug that it breaks down into, was recorded at a level of 5.6, he said.     

The norfentanyl concentration could indicate fentanyl was taken and then some of it had already broken down, or it could indicate someone took a dose of the drug, then later took another dose, Isenschmid explained.  

The impact of fentanyl on someone can vary person to person, due to tolerance, he said.

Looking at a collection of fentanyl tests conducted in DUI cases for comparison, Isenschmid said the level found in Floyd’s blood was in the top quarter, the 80th percentile.  

The amount of methamphetamine in the blood was low, he testified. It was consistent with what someone would receive in a single, legally prescribed, dose.  

Morphine was found in Floyd’s urine, but not in his blood, Isenschmid testified, which could indicate the drug had been taken earlier since it remains in urine longer than blood.   

The opioid addiction treatment suboxone was found in Floyd’s blood, as well as generic Narcan, THC, nicotine and caffeine.

On cross examination Isenschmid discussed reporting limits and traces of drugs that were found but were not reported because they were so low. 

Defense lawyer Eric Nelson noted if a representative of the state crime lab testified and refused to acknowledge the possibility of the presence of a drug, that could, theoretically, be because of those threshold rules.

Since fentanyl on the street is not manufactured in a controlled environment, it can vary from dose to dose, Isenschmid testified.   

He agreed that the comparisons he cited for the prosecution did not include certain information, including if other drugs were present and what happened to the person.

On re-direct examination Isenschmid compared the ratio of fentanyl to norfentanyl in Floyd’s blood tests, and says it was more similar to a collection of patients that were alive instead of dead.

Dr. Daniel Isenschmid, a forensic toxicology from NMS Laboratory in Horsham, Pennsylvania, testified today about why the lab he works at didn’t report the ratio of methamphetamine to amphetamine in George Floyd following the May 2020 incident.

In a cross examination by prosecutors, Isenschmid said that Floyd’s methamphetamine were indeed lower than 94% of the driving under the influence population.

Some context: Three forensic scientists on Wednesday testified that several white pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyd’s vehicle, and a smaller pill with Floyd’s saliva on it was found in the back of the police squad car.

Today, Dr. Martin Tobin, a renowned pulmonary critical care doctor, testified that fentanyl did not play a role in Floyd’s death.

After observing body-camera footage, Tobin calculated Floyd’s respiratory rate at 22 breaths per minute, within normal range. People who overdose on fentanyl generally have a respiratory rate of about 10, so Tobin concluded that fentanyl was not affecting Floyd’s breathing.

“Basically it tells you that there isn’t fentanyl on board that is affecting his respiratory centers. It’s not having an effect on his respiratory centers,” Tobin said.

Forensic expert witnesses have testified about fentanyl, which has come up several times during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

Three forensic scientists on Wednesday testified that several white pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in George Floyd’s vehicle, and a smaller pill with Floyd’s saliva on it was found in the back of the police squad car.

Today, Dr. Martin Tobin, a renowned pulmonary critical care doctor, testified that fentanyl did not play a role in Floyd’s death.

After observing body-camera footage, Tobin calculated Floyd’s respiratory rate at 22 breaths per minute, within normal range. People who overdose on fentanyl generally have a respiratory rate of about 10, so Tobin concluded that fentanyl was not affecting Floyd’s breathing.

“Basically it tells you that there isn’t fentanyl on board that is affecting his respiratory centers. It’s not having an effect on his respiratory centers,” Tobin said.

The pulmonologist also said that any pre-existing health conditions Floyd suffered from prior to the incident in May 2020 did not cause his death.

Why this matters: During the trial, defense attorney Eric Nelson has focused on Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine and his resistance to the arresting officers.

The next witness to testify at the trial is Dr. Daniel Isenschmid. He is a forensic toxicology from NMS Laboratory in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Any pre-existing health conditions George Floyd suffered from prior to the incident in May 2020 did not cause his death, Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, testified today during the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin.

Tobin’s comments were prompted by questions from prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell following defense attorney Eric Nelson’s cross-examination.

Earlier today: Tobin said a healthy person would have died under the same conditions Floyd was subjected to.

Asked if he had “an opinion of reasonable degree of medical certainty as to whether a person who had none of those pre-existing health conditions, a healthy person, would have died under the certain same circumstances of Mr. Floyd?” Tobin responded:

Defense attorney Eric Nelson questions a witness on April 8 in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson is now questioning the prosecution’s witness, Dr. Martin Tobin, on the stand.

Tobin, a pulmonary expert, testified earlier that the lack of enough oxygen caused damage to George Floyd’s brain and ultimately made his heart stop.

He told the court that Floyd died as a result of a “low level of oxygen” caused by shallow breathing that was the result of the three officers restraining him.

The court has returned from its lunch break and the testimony of Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert, has resumed.

What happened earlier: Tobin said George Floyd died as a result of a “low level of oxygen” caused by shallow breathing that was the result of the three officers restraining him.

“A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to,” Tobin said. The expert witness who studies the mechanics of breathing said he was not being paid to appear in court.

The lack of enough oxygen caused damage to Floyd’s brain and ultimately his heart to stop, Tobin told the jury.

The court is in a lunch break until 1:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET).

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert, will resume his testimony when the court reconvenes.

Pulmonary expert Dr. Martin Tobin testified that fentanyl did not have an effect in “causing depression of the respiratory centers” in George Floyd.

Tobin said that with fentanyl, Floyd’s respiratory rate should have been 10, instead the rate was at 22, which is normal.

“Basically it tells you that there isn’t fentanyl on board that is affecting his respiratory centers. It’s not having an effect on his respiratory centers,” Tobin told the prosecution.

Tobin noted that the normal range for a respiratory rate is between 12 and 22. Tobin testified that Floyd’s respiratory rate was 22 just before he lost consciousness.

Watch Dr. Tobin’s testimony:

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Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert, testified that George Floyd’s final moments of his life can be seen in the bystander video of the May 25, 2020 incident.

While reviewing the video in court in front of jurors, Tobin said, “At the beginning you can see he’s conscious. You can see slight flickering. And then it disappears.”

“You can see his eyes, he’s conscious, and then you see that he isn’t. That’s the moment the life goes out of his body,” Tobin said.

Floyd, he said, struggled and tried to breathe as officers restrained him.

The expert said the restraints on Floyd continued even after he stopped breathing.

“No, the restraints continued after that — he has the cessation of respiratory efforts. When you last take a breath the knee remains on the neck for another 3:27 after he takes his last breath. There’s the knee remains. After there’s no pulse, the knee remains on the neck for another 2:44 after the officers have found themselves, there’s no pulse, the knee remains on the neck another 2:44,” Tobin said.

Watch Dr. Tobin’s testimony:

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Prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell told Dr. Martin Tobin that the jurors may have heard one of the officers say, “if you could speak, you can breathe” during the trial. Blackwell asked Tobin, a pulmonary expert, if that is a true statement.

Tobin added: “Certainly, at the moment that you are speaking, you are breathing. But it doesn’t tell you that you’re going to be breathing five seconds later.” 

Tobin said that Floyd speaking during the incident was important to his analysis of the medical records in this case.

“Because it tells us that for the time that he is speaking, and he continues to speak for 4 minutes and 51 seconds from the time the knee is placed on his neck, and tells us that there could not have been completes compression,” he said.

Asked by the prosecutor if the brain is sensitive to oxygen deprivation, Tobin said, “The brain is the most sensitive area to needing oxygen.”

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert, acknowledged that George Floyd had pre-existing conditions but said a healthy person would have died under the same conditions Floyd was subjected to.

The prosecutor asked Tobin if he had “an opinion of reasonable degree of medical certainty as to whether a person who had none of those pre-existing health conditions, a healthy person, would have died under the certain same circumstances of Mr. Floyd?”

Tobin responded:

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert who reviewed medical records in the case, testified that he determined that at one point while Derek Chauvin was on top of George Floyd there was “not an ounce of oxygen left in his body, in his entire body.”

“There is not an ounce of oxygen left in his body. And again … you can figure this out with very precise science, looking at once somebody stops breathing, what will be the rate of decline in oxygen, how long it will take to reach zero,” Tobin said.

Asked if Chauvin removed his knee from Floyd’s neck at the point that there was no more oxygen in his body, Tobin said, “No, the knee remained on the neck for another 3 minutes and 2 seconds, after we reached the point where there was not one ounce of oxygen left in the body.”

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who reviewed medical records in the case, testified that George Floyd’s oxygen levels significantly decreased while ex-cop Derek Chauvin was on top of him.

“He has to try to fight against the small volumes he has, and he has to try to lift up the officer’s knee with each breath,” Tobin testified.

He continued that Floyd “has to try and also lift up the effect of the other officer pumping in his arm with a handcuffed arm. They are pushing it in, into his chest. So he has to make all of these efforts to try and breathe against that.”

Tobin said that it was his analysis that Floyd saw a “43% reduction in his oxygen reserves.” He testified that reduction was due to a drop of “24% from being prone and another 19 from the knee on the back.” 

Dr. Martin Tobin testifies on April 8 at Hennepin County Courthouse in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin.

Most jurors appear to be engaged and taking notes during testimony from pulmonologist Dr. Martin Tobin this morning in the Derek Chauvin trial, according to reports from two courtroom pool reporters. 

“The jurors and court seem attentive and engaged by the visual aids,” according to one report. The reports say most of the jurors have been taking notes during Tobin’s testimony.

The reports also noted that almost all of the jurors followed along and did what the doctor asked when Tobin invited members or the jury to feel their necks during his testimony. After the judge told jurors they don’t have to follow the witness’ instructions, most of the jurors continued to do it to themselves. 

As the doctor explained how officers Chauvin and J. Alexander Kueng were holding Floyd, “all jurors were watching the video, not taking notes,” the report said.  

Testimony has resumed at the Derek Chauvin trial and Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist, is still being questioned by the prosecution.

Tobin said that George Floyd’s leg movements during the incident shows evidence that he was experiencing a seizure while Chauvin was holding him down.

“We see and we can tell from the movement of his leg that the level of oxygen in his brain has caused what we call a myoclonic seizure activity,” he said.

Tobin was asked if it is significant that Chauvin moved his knee off of Floyd’s neck after he was unconscious.

He responded: “No. I mean, it — the movement happens around a different times but obviously the key thing is everything up to the time … the brain injury that’s occurring. And where officer Chauvin moved his knee after that really is not going to have material impact on the case.”

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who reviewed medical records in George Floyd’s case, has resumed his testimony after the court took a 20-minute break.

The court is in a 20-minute break.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who reviewed medical records in George Floyd’s case, will resume his testimony when the court returns.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who reviewed medical records in George Floyd’s case, is continuing his testimony at the Chauvin trial this morning.

He is giving his analysis on a series of still images taken from officer body camera footage.

Tobin said that Floyd can be seen in the footage ramming his face into the pavement while Chauvin is on top of him in an effort to breathe.

“He’s actually using his nose and chin and forehead as a way of trying to help him get air into the right side of his chest,” he added.

This series of still images from body worn camera footage were show to Dr. Martin Tobin during his testimony. Tobin noted the significance of an image where you see Floyd reaching out with his knuckles pressed against the tires of the squad car while Chauvin is on top of him.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert, testified that there was “absolutely no way” that Floyd’s chest could expand properly to breathe.

During his testimony, Tobin had been shown a series of still images from body worn camera footage from the scene that he previously reviewed. At one point, Tobin noted the significance of an image where you see Floyd reaching out with his knuckles pressed against the tires of the squad car while Chauvin is on top of him.

Tobin said, “To most people, this doesn’t look terribly significant. But to a physiologist, this is extraordinarily significant.”

He continued: “Because when you begin to breathe, you begin to breathe with your rib cage and your diaphragm. Then the next thing you recruit after that is your sternum muscle which is the big muscle in your neck. When those are wasted up, then you’re relying on these types of muscles like your fingers to try and stabilize your whole right side. Because he’s totally dependent on getting air into the right side.” 

Tobin said he concluded Floyd was “using his fingers and his knuckles against the street to try and crank up the right side of his chest.”

“This is his only way to try and get air to get into the right lung,” he said.

On his left side, Tobin said, Floyd was similarly trying to use his shoulder to breathe. He said that “because the chest underlying it is so expanded, you get very, very little air in.” 

“It’s a very poor way of breathing. But it’s what you have to do when everything else is failing,” he said.

Watch:

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Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, testified that the way officers were driving handcuffs into George Floyd’s back, coupled with how Floyd was on the street, limited his breathing. 

“They’re pushing the handcuffs into his back and pushing them high,” Tobin said. 

“So Mr. Floyd then is pancaked between the pavement underneath him and then force on top of him?” prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell asked, to which Tobin responded, “precisely.” 

Tobin said Floyd was “being squashed” between two sides. In addition, a knee against the left side of Floyd’s chest hampered his ability to breathe.

“It was almost to the effect as if a surgeon had gone in and removed the lung. Not quite, but along those lines. So there was virtually very little opportunity for him to be able to get any air to move in to the left side of his chest,” Tobin said.  

Watch:

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“Mr. Floyd died from a low level of oxygen,” a pulmonologist testified at former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, testified after having reviewed the medical records in this case. He said he is not being paid to appear in court.

“And this caused damage to his brain that we see and it also caused a PEA arrhythmia, that caused his heart to stop,” he told the court.

PEA means pulseless electrical activity, “which is a particular form of abnormal beat of heart — an arrhythmia,” he explained.

He also shared his opinion on the cause for the low level of oxygen in Mr. Floyd:

Watch:

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Dr. Martin Tobin testifies on Thursday, April 8.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, said George Floyd died from a “low level of oxygen.”

He outlined four factors that contributed to his low oxygen:

The prosecutor listed the four reasons to make it clear to the jury:

The prosecution is now asking him about each of the four individual factors in detail.

Watch:

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Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, is now testifying at the Chauvin trial. He reviewed the medical records in this case.

Tobin, who has lectured all of the world, described his expertise in court

He said he is not being paid to appear in court.

Day nine of testimony in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin has begun.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine, has taken the stand and is being questioned by the prosecuting attorney.

Yesterday, several investigators and forensic scientists testified about what they found at the crime scene, including George Floyd’s blood stains and a few white pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

A Los Angeles Police Department use-of-force expert, hired by the prosecution, also testified that Chauvin had used excessive and deadly force on Floyd when none was needed.

Catch up on what happened yesterday here.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson questions Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Jody Stiger on Wednesday, April 7.

The trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin will enter day nine of testimony today. We’re expecting the prosecution to call more witnesses.

Here’s a recap of what’s happened so far this week in trial:

A woman views a memorial dedicated to George Floyd outside the entrance of Cup Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 5.

George Floyd’s death sparked global protests over police brutality and racism last year, and now the trial of ex-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin is receiving nationwide attention and sparking renewed calls of police reform.

Eight current or former officers have testified against Chauvin so far in the trial, including the chief of the Minneapolis police department who noted that Chauvin’s actions and use of force during the arrest of Floyd were contrary to department policy.

The courtroom trial will decide whether Chauvin is culpable for Floyd’s death after pinning him to the ground with a knee on his neck. The former police officer is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd.

Outside the courtroom, the case is widely seen as a trial of the US system itself — a test of whether justice is possible for a Black man who died while under arrest, triggering a global racial reckoning.

Here are some actions that have been proposed or taken since Floyd’s death:

The jury in Derek Chauvin’s trial has heard from multiple witnesses so far, and they’ve been shown bystander and police footage of George Floyd’s final moments. 

If convicted, Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. The charges are to be considered separate, so Chauvin could be convicted of all, some or none of them.

While the jurors are unnamed and unseen on camera, we do know basic details about them.

Here’s what we know about the jury:

Read more about about the jury here.

LAPD Sgt. Jody Stiger testifies on Wednesday, April 7.

It’s day nine of testimony in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged in the death of George Floyd.

A series of witnesses took the stand in court yesterday during the prosecution’s portion of the trial.

If you’re just reading in, here’s what happened in court yesterday:

James Reyerson, senior special agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, testified that he could hear Floyd saying he “ate too many drugs” in a video of the May 25, 2020 incident, but later acknowledged in redirect that Floyd could have said something different.

Reyerson was shown video of the incident and asked by defense attorney Eric Nelson, “Did it appear that Mr. Floyd said, ‘I ate too many drugs?’” “Yes, it did,” Reyerson said.

After a short break, Reyerson was recalled to the stand by the prosecution and they played him a longer video that included the same audio. Prosecuting attorney Matthew Frank asked if he was able to tell what Floyd was saying.

“Yes, I believe Mr. Floyd is saying, ‘I ain’t doing no drugs,’” Reyerson said, contradicting his earlier answer.

Frank followed up, “That’s a little different than what you are asked about when you’re only saw a portion of the video, correct?” “Yes, sir,” Reyerson said.

LAPD Sgt. Jody Stiger, a use-of-force expert, testified that Chauvin had an obligation to take into consideration whether Floyd was in distress when considering to continue the type of force he was applying. “As the time went on, clearly in the video you could see that Mr. Floyd’s medical — his health was deteriorating,” Stiger said.

Stiger also testified that officers are trained that they can put their knee in between the shoulder blades at the base of the neck of a suspect to hold them on the ground.

Asked by Nelson if this was standard police practice to his knowledge, Stiger, a use-of-force expert, said yes.

A pair of forensic scientists testified about what was found in a Mercedes at the scene and in the squad car Floyd was moved to.

McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, testified that the blood found in the back of a squad car in May 2020 belonged to Floyd. Anderson spoke specifically about eight specific locations in the vehicle where blood was found.

“From all eight of those locations, I obtained a single source male DNA profile that matches of George Floyd, and again this DNA profile would not be expected to occur more than once among unrelated individuals in the rural population,” Anderson said.

Giles, a forensic scientist also with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, testified about tests she conducted on two pills found in the Mercedes in May 2020.

“The tablets contained methamphetamine and fentanyl,” Giles said.