Minnesota officials have ruled George Floyd’s death a homicide, saying he suffered from a loss of blood flow due to compression on his neck while being restrained by Minneapolis police.
Floyd, 46, died last week while in handcuffs after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
His death, captured on video, has sparked chaotic demonstrations in dozens of American cities, some of which have turned violent.
The report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Monday said Floyd died of cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.
It also says Floyd was suffering from heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use, but it does not list those factors in the cause of death.
The report overturns preliminary county findings, which found that Floyd’s death was the combined result of being restrained by police as well as underlying health conditions and potential intoxicants in his system.
It comes hours after an autopsy commissioned by the family of Floyd found his death was caused by asphyxiation and also ruled it a homicide.
The family-appointed medical examiner, Michael Baden, said no underlying medical conditions caused or contributed to Floyd’s death.
Floyd’s death has led to protests across the United States, which continued Monday evening.
In Washington, police set off tear gas bombs to disperse protesters outside the White House before President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Rose Garden.
Trump threatened to deploy the U.S. military to cities to stop violent protests, calling himself the president of law and order and said he will fight to protect the American people.
Earlier Monday, Trump lambasted the nation’s governors as weak, demanding they crack down on violent protesters and arrest them.
