Thursday, 4th June, 2020
Autopsy report confirms George Floyd had coronavirus
From abc3340 News
By STEFANIE DYGA, Sinclair Broadcast Group
WASHINGTON (SBG) — An autopsy report of George Floyd released Wednesday reveals he had coronavirus.
The full report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office confirms Floyd died May 25 after his heart stopped as a police officer restrained him and suppressed his neck, but also says he tested positive for 2019-nCoV RNA, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus.
The document states he tested positive on April 3.
"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," the report reads.
The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China late last year and has since killed close to 400,000 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The Minneapolis police officer seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder. The other three officers present during the arrest — Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — have all been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
“His life had value, and we will seek justice,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
All four were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department last week.
Floyd’s death has sparked a week of unrest in the United States and other places around the globe including London, Italy, Brazil and Denmark. Many people have adopted the phrase “I can’t breathe” as a rallying cry, alluding to Floyd’s pleas for relief.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent a national response team to Minneapolis and St. Paul to investigate fires set during protests, according to the Associated Press. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has called over 20,000 National Guard members to 29 different states to help quell the violence.
In his first public appearance since Floyd's death, former president Barack Obama on Wednesday called for protests to turn into policy change.
“As activists and everyday citizens raise their voices, we need to be clear about where change is going to happen and how we can bring about that change,” said Obama.
He says now is the time for young activists to "sustain the momentum" and channel energy into action.
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