The autopsy revealed nothing to support strangulation as the cause of death. The exam concluded that the combined effects of being restrained, potential intoxicants in Floyd’s system and his underlying health issues, including heart disease, likely contributed to his death.
Now if you want to challenge the medical examiner's report and the lack of evidence for strangulation, good luck with that.
FINAL DIAGNOSES:
46-year-old man who became unresponsive while being restrained by law
enforcement officers; he received emergency medical care in the field
and subsequently in the Hennepin HealthCare (HHC) Emergency
Department, but could not be resuscitated.
I. Blunt force injuries
A. Cutaneous blunt force injuries of the forehead, face, and
upper lip
B. Mucosal injuries of the lips
C. Cutaneous blunt force injuries of the shoulders, hands,
elbows, and legs
D. Patterned contusions (in some areas abraded) of the wrists,
consistent with restraints (handcuffs)
II. Natural diseases
A. Arteriosclerotic heart disease, multifocal, severe
B. Hypertensive heart disease
1. Cardiomegaly (540 g) with mild biventricular
dilatation
2. Clinical history of hypertension
C. Left pelvic tumor (incidental, see microscopic description)
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III. No life-threatening injuries identified
A. No facial, oral mucosal, or conjunctival petechiae
B. No injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal
structures
C. No scalp soft tissue, skull, or brain injuries
D. No chest wall soft tissue injuries, rib fractures (other
than a single rib fracture from CPR), vertebral column
injuries, or visceral injuries
E. Incision and subcutaneous dissection of posterior and
lateral neck, shoulders, back, flanks, and buttocks
negative for occult trauma
IV. Viral testing (Minnesota Department of Health, postmortem nasal
swab collected 5/26/2020): positive for 2019-nCoV RNA by PCR
(see ‘Comments,’ below)
V. Hemoglobin S quantitation (postmortem femoral blood, HHC
Laboratory): 38% (see ‘Comments,’ below)
VI. Toxicology (see attached report for full details; testing
performed on antemortem blood specimens collected 5/25/20 at
9:00 p.m. at HHC and on postmortem urine)
A. Blood drug and novel psychoactive substances screens:
1. Fentanyl 11 ng/mL
2. Norfentanyl 5.6 ng/mL
3. 4-ANPP 0.65 ng/mL
4. Methamphetamine 19 ng/mL
5. 11-Hydroxy Delta-9 THC 1.2 ng/mL;
Delta-9 Carboxy THC 42 ng/mL; Delta-9 THC 2.9 ng/mL
6. Cotinine positive
7. Caffeine positive
B. Blood volatiles: negative for ethanol, methanol,
isopropanol, or acetone
C. Urine drug screen: presumptive positive for cannabinoids,
amphetamines, and fentanyl/metabolite
D. Urine drug screen confirmation: morphine (free) 86 ng/mL
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Comments: The finding of sickled-appearing cells in many of the
autopsy tissue sections prompted the Hemoglobin S quantitation
reported above. This quantitative result is indicative of sickle
cell trait. Red blood cells in individuals with sickle cell trait
are known to sickle as a postmortem artifact. The decedent’s
antemortem peripheral blood smear (made from a complete blood count
collected 5/25/20 at 9:00 p.m.) was reviewed by an expert HHC
hematopathologist at the Medical Examiner’s request. This review
found no evidence of antemortem sickling.
The decedent was known to be positive for 2019-nCoV RNA on 4/3/2020.
Since PCR positivity for 2019-nCoV RNA can persist for weeks after
the onset and resolution of clinical disease, the autopsy result most
likely reflects asymptomatic but persistent PCR positivity from
previous infection.
Strangulation is nowhere in this official autopsy report.