An attorney for George Floyd's family says a medical examiner’s finding that Floyd had drugs in his system when he died is a “red herring."
Attorney Ben Crump says that claim is drawing attention away from the responsibility of Derek Chauvin, the officer who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving.
Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd’s family and many others have called for more serious charges against Chauvin and for the other officers to be charged.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says prosecutors are working as fast as they can.
(Photo courtesy: MGN)
Earlier, the family of George Floyd said an independent autopsy found that he died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure on his back and neck.
Floyd, a black man who was in handcuffs at the time, died on Memorial Day.
The officer ignored bystander shouts to get off him and Floyd’s cries that he couldn’t breathe.
The family’s autopsy differs from the official autopsy as described in a criminal complaint against the officer.
That autopsy said the effects of restraint contributed to Floyd's death, but it ruled out asphyxiation or strangulation.
Meanwhile, Floyd’s brother pleaded for peace in the streets on Monday saying violence is “not going to bring my brother back at all.”
Also on Monday, former President Barack Obama said that nationwide unrest could prove to be a "real turning point" in efforts to reform policing and the criminal justice system if demonstrations lead to increased participation in state and local elections.
In an essay on Medium, Obama wrote that the protests "represent a genuine and legitimate frustration" and hailed demonstrators who are marching peacefully, saying they "deserve our respect and support."
He also condemned the "small minority" of demonstrators who have resorted to violence, saying they're "putting innocent people at risk" and hurting the very communities they are hoping to improve.
(The Associated Press, CBS News contributed to this report.)
