The first medical expert witness called by Derek Chauvin’s defense team faced difficult cross-examination on Wednesday after he testified that George Floyd died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia, rather than a deprivation of oxygen caused by Mr. Chauvin.
Dr. David Fowler, a former chief medical examiner of Maryland who has testified in numerous high-profile police use-of-force cases, told jurors that he believed Mr. Floyd died after a combination of factors — including pre-existing heart conditions, drug use and exposure to vehicle exhaust from the police cruiser that he was next to — caused his heart to stop.
“You put all of those together, it’s very difficult to say which of those is the most accurate,” he said, characterizing Mr. Floyd’s cause of death as “undetermined.” Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Mr. Floyd’s death.
Like the defense’s use-of-force expert who testified on Tuesday, Dr. Fowler was met with sharp criticism from a prosecuting attorney. Throughout the cross-examination, Jerry Blackwell said he did not want Dr. Fowler’s testimony to confuse the jurors, harkening back to his opening statement to the jury when the trial began: “Believe your eyes.” Here are the key takeaways from Day 13.