A federal judge has granted permission for Derek Chauvin’s legal team to examine preserved samples from George Floyd’s heart and bodily fluids. This development is part of Chauvin’s ongoing efforts to contest his federal civil rights conviction related to Floyd’s death in May 2020.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson approved the motion, allowing the defense to inspect Floyd’s heart tissue and fluid samples. The defense posits that Floyd’s death may have resulted from a heart condition exacerbated by a rare tumor, rather than asphyxiation caused by Chauvin’s restraint during the incident.
Chauvin is currently serving concurrent sentences: a 21-year federal term for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22.5-year state sentence for second-degree murder. The defense’s request to analyze the medical samples is part of a broader strategy to challenge the federal conviction, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Chauvin contends that his previous attorney did not inform him of an external pathologist’s opinion suggesting that a heart condition could have been the cause of death.
The court’s decision permits Chauvin’s attorneys to access histology slides, tissue samples, and photographs of Floyd’s heart. Additionally, they are authorized to test certain fluids obtained from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office to assess catecholamine and metanephrine levels, which could provide insights into Floyd’s cardiac condition at the time of death.
George Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Derek Chauvin, then a Minneapolis police officer, restrained him by placing a knee on his neck for approximately nine and a half minutes. The incident, captured on video, led to widespread protests and a global discourse on police practices and racial justice.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me