A toxicologist testified in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Dr. Vik Bebarta, an emergency physician, toxicologist, and professor at the University of Colorado, asserted that neither drug use, heart disease, nor excited delirium caused Floyd’s death. Instead, he pointed to Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the primary cause, echoing the prosecution’s argument.
The trial centers around the officers’ alleged failure to provide medical aid to Floyd while he was handcuffed and facedown on the pavement. Kueng and Thao are further accused of failing to intervene in Chauvin’s actions. The incident, stemming from Floyd’s alleged attempt to use a counterfeit $20 bill, sparked global protests and a renewed examination of racism and policing.
Dr. Bebarta’s testimony reinforced previous expert opinions criticizing the officers for not rolling Floyd onto his side, a standard procedure they were trained in, which would have allowed him to breathe more easily. He analyzed video footage from inside a convenience store prior to the fatal encounter, concluding that Floyd did not appear seriously intoxicated or experiencing an overdose, although he acknowledged a clerk’s testimony that Floyd seemed high.
“He was awake, walking, communicating, walking quickly at times,” Bebarta stated, emphasizing Floyd’s coherent state before the police interaction. He concluded that Floyd “died from a lack of oxygen to his brain” due to a blocked airway, supporting earlier testimony from a lung specialist who believed Floyd could have been saved if repositioned.
The defense questioned Dr. Bebarta about excited delirium, a controversial condition sometimes cited in in-custody deaths involving extreme agitation, often linked to drug use or mental health episodes. Bebarta, who claimed to have seen over 1,000 such cases, testified that Floyd displayed none of the typical symptoms, such as high pain tolerance, superhuman strength, or endurance. He unequivocally stated, “He did not die from what would be referred to as excited delirium.”
While acknowledging the medical community’s struggle to define excited delirium, Dr. Bebarta highlighted the difference in diagnostic ability between a medical professional and a police officer, challenging the defense’s suggestion that the officers could have recognized the condition.
Testimony and video evidence revealed that after Floyd became unresponsive and officers couldn’t find a pulse, Chauvin, the senior officer, instructed the others to wait for the approaching ambulance. They continued restraining Floyd until paramedics arrived. Dr. Bebarta emphasized the crucial lost minutes, citing American Heart Association guidelines stating that every minute without CPR reduces survival chances by 10%. He asserted that if CPR had been initiated immediately upon losing Floyd’s pulse, his chances of survival would have been significantly higher.
Cross-examination by Lane’s attorney revealed that Lane was the first to perform chest compressions and had offered to accompany paramedics in the ambulance. He also expressed concern for Floyd’s condition and attempted to check his pulse.
The three officers face charges of willfully depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights under government authority, resulting in his death. Chauvin was previously convicted of murder and manslaughter in state court and pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge. Kueng, Lane, and Thao also await a separate state trial on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. This complex legal landscape underscores the gravity of the case and its ongoing implications for police accountability and racial justice.
This detailed analysis of the expert testimony in the George Floyd federal trial highlights the prosecution’s focus on asphyxiation as the cause of death, while dismissing alternative explanations offered by the defense. The trial continues to unfold, offering critical insights into the events surrounding Floyd’s death and their legal ramifications.
