Court Approves Derek Chauvin’s Request to Analyze George Floyd’s Heart Tissue

December 16, 2024 TruthUSA

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, has submitted a request to analyze George Floyd’s heart tissue, potentially backing the assertion of a medical condition as a factor in his death.

A Minnesota court has approved Derek Chauvin’s appeal to obtain samples of George Floyd’s heart tissue as part of his murder conviction appeal. This appeal is founded on the viewpoint of a forensic pathologist suggesting that Floyd’s death resulted from acute heart failure linked to a pre-existing health issue rather than Chauvin’s conduct.

In a ruling on December 16, District Court Judge Paul Magnuson sanctioned the testing of materials preserved from Floyd’s autopsy, including blood, urine, and heart tissue. These samples will be scrutinized for raised levels of catecholamines, which are strong stress hormones, and will also be evaluated for indicators of Takotsubo’s myocarditis, a rare type of acute heart failure.

Chauvin’s legal team argued in a motion dated December 13 that these analyses could reinforce a hypothesis presented by forensic pathologist Dr. William Schaetzel, which states that Floyd’s death in May 2020 was not connected to Chauvin’s restraint.

Currently, Chauvin is serving concurrent sentences for state and federal convictions related to the tragic incident. His request is part of a larger habeas corpus motion addressing claims of ineffective legal representation. He maintains that his previous attorney, Eric Nelson, did not make him aware of Schaetzel’s medical insights, which could, if proven accurate by the tests, corroborate his innocence.

In one of Chauvin’s filings, it was noted that Schaetzel reached out to Nelson in April 2021, asserting that Floyd’s demise was likely the result of a catecholamine crisis triggered by his pre-existing paraganglioma, a rare tumor capable of releasing extreme amounts of adrenaline. According to Schaetzel, this crisis led to Takotsubo’s myocarditis, resulting in Floyd’s death irrespective of Chauvin’s actions.

“If high levels of catecholamines or their metabolites were discovered, these tests and examinations would substantiate Dr. Schaetzel’s opinion about Mr. Floyd’s cause of death,” the filing states. “However, Mr. Nelson never arranged for these tests to be conducted.”

According to the autopsy report mentioned in court documents, Floyd had a paraganglioma in his left pelvic region. Schaetzel believes that one of the officers startled Floyd, causing his paraganglioma to produce abnormally high catecholamine levels, precipitating acute heart failure.

“The catecholamine crisis that led to Mr. Floyd’s death commenced when Officer [Thomas] Lang startled him in his vehicle,” the filing states. “By the time Mr. Floyd was by the squad car, he was in a dire state.”

One of the consequences of this specific type of heart failure—Takotsubo’s myocarditis—can be the leakage of blood into the lungs, which leads to respiratory problems. Another result of the catecholamine crisis, as believed by Schaetzel, includes symptoms such as “confusion, disorientation, panic, a sense of impending doom, claustrophobia, muscle weakness, and difficulty breathing.” A video captured by a bystander showed Floyd pleading that he couldn’t breathe while restrained by Chauvin.

Nelson, described in the court documents as having provided “ineffective assistance of counsel,” previously declined to comment.

Dr. Andrew Baker, the local medical examiner who performed Floyd’s autopsy, determined that the use of force was the primary cause of death. Nonetheless, he recognized Floyd’s arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, as well as fentanyl and methamphetamine use, as significant contributors to his demise.

Additionally, Dr. David Fowler, a former chief medical examiner in Maryland, testified that heart problems were primarily responsible for Floyd’s death.

Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April 2021, receiving a sentence of 21 years in prison in July 2022.

In November 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear Chauvin’s appeal, following a similar decision from the Minnesota Supreme Court without providing reasons for the refusals.

Chauvin was attacked and stabbed 22 times in prison in November 2023. John Turscak, a former gang leader and FBI informant, has been charged with attempted murder related to this incident.

The widely circulated video of Floyd’s death sparked significant public outrage, leading to protests and riots across the nation, causing billions in damages.

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