The lawyer for one of the four ex-Minneapolis police officers accused of killing 25 Floyd in George Floyd said the victim ‘killed himself’, pointing to body cameras of the arrest, as well as toxicological reports that he said Floyd tripled the amount of fentanyl in his system.
Attorney Earl Gray, representing former officer Thomas Lane, said much of his client’s defense – and that of the other three officers accused in Floyd’s death – comes down to the fact that Floyd “killed himself. has got.” Gray said several medical experts have informed Lane’s defense team that Floyd with COVID-19 was also a likely contributing factor to his death at the time of his arrest.
After telling De Los Angeles Times recently that Floyd died of a drug overdose due to a heart condition, Gray told CNN Saturday that official Derek Chauvin’s knee injury to Floyd’s neck did not cause his death – a claim disputed by two autopsies that determined Floyd’s death was a murder .
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Instead, Gray claimed, reports on toxicology show that there are “all sorts of reasons” for Floyd’s death during the arrest, in particular drug use along with underlying health conditions.
“Would George Floyd have died that day without Officer Chauvin’s knee to the neck?” CNN host Michael Smerconish asked Gray Saturday.
“Yes, we believe he would have died anyway,” Gray replied. “And that’s based on the fentanyl in his system and also the body camera photos of his holding and carrying when my customer approached his car.”
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“The restriction did not kill him. We have had many pathologists, medical researchers around the world email us and tell us what they believe the cause of death would vary from the COVID he just received. , up to the amount of drugs in his system, to exacerbated delirium – all sorts of reasons for him died. “
Grey’s client Lane and two other officers – J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – are charged as accomplices in the alleged murder of Floyd. A fourth officer, Derek Chauvin, is charged with murder. Lawyers for Thao and Lane have previously asked to have their cases dismissed.
Newsweek reached out to Gray’s offices for additional comments on his client’s defense Saturday morning.
Part of the defense, Gray said The Los Angeles Times, presents a photo of police training in Minneapolis showing a similar method of restraint and arrest that was used on Floyd. “Sudden heartbeat typically comes right after a violent fight,” the instructions warned.
“The key here is the amount of fentanyl in his system that was 11 nanograms, which is three times the amount an ordinary person would have to die. Three nanograms would kill you. He had 11,” Gray said, noting that various body cameras angle show that Floyd had a “white substance” on the back of his tongue at the time of arrest.
Gray said he was applying to a court for the case because local officials said there could be riots and protests, depending on the outcome of the case. He also said it was highly unlikely that Lane could get an “honest trial” in Minneapolis because of his high profile. Gray criticized public officials and attendees of the Democratic National Convention – many of whom are lawyers – for saying “George King” was “murdered.” (Gray incorrectly said Floyd’s name at least once on the program.)
“Not one of these guys – even Chauvin – actually killed him,” Gray said De Los Angeles Times. “He killed himself. We will show that my client and the other cops did their job.”
Screenshot: CNN | Twitter
