Derek Chauvin trial in the United States: the damning testimony of a pulmonologist

Trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis: The testimony of Doctor Tobin (photo), famous pulmonologist, Thursday, April 8, brought water to the mill of the prosecution.

George Floyd died of suffocation according to the doctor.

AP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

On the ninth day of the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, a white police officer on trial for the murder of George Floyd, after hearing more than thirty witnesses, medical experts are now on the scene.

And their first scientific analyzes are damning for the former policeman.

Publicity

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with our correspondent in San Francisco,

Eric de Salve

Terrible numbers ... For 3 minutes and 27 seconds after the last breath of George Floyd, a 47-year-old black American whose death had awakened the

Black lives matter

movement last spring

, Derek Chauvin continued to keep his knee on his neck .

This is what a renowned pulmonologist says before the jury.

The diagnosis leaves no doubt for Dr Martin Tobin: "Mr Floyd," he said, "died of lack of oxygen from the excessive force exerted on him - position prone against the pavement, his hands cuffed. in the back, one knee on his back, one on his neck and another on his side;

it's as if a surgeon had just amputated his lungs, ”summarizes this breathing specialist.

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Also to listen: 

Chauvin trial: " 

This case is not representative of police violence in the United States

 "

As for the arguments of Derek Chauvin's lawyer who claims that an

overdose

and heart failure would have caused death, they are calmly and thoroughly refuted by the scientist.

"Even a healthy person," he said, "who would have been subjected to what Mr Floyd suffered would have died too."

“All of these are just hypotheses,” retorts Derek Chauvin's lawyer.

No, "all of this can be calculated", answers the doctor.

And to prove it, Dr. Tobin is counting George Floyd's breath count before the jury… A devastating testimony for the defense and perhaps a turning point in this trial.

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To read also

: Death of George Floyd: opening of an extraordinary trial this Monday in the United States

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