A Minnesota court has granted former police officer Derek Chauvin’s request to have George Floyd’s heart tissue sampled as part of Chauvin’s murder conviction appeal, which is based on a forensic pathologist’s opinion that Floyd died from acute heart failure related to a pre-existing medical condition rather than Chauvin’s actions.
Chauvin, who is currently serving concurrent sentences for state and federal convictions related to the fatal encounter, filed the request as part of a broader habeas corpus motion that centers on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. He argues that his former attorney, Eric Nelson, failed to inform him of Schaetzel’s medical opinion, which if validated by the tests, could establish Chauvin’s innocence.
“These tests and examinations would support Dr. Schaetzel’s opinion about what caused Mr. Floyd to die if high levels of catecholamines or their metabolites were discovered,” the filing reads. “But Mr. Nelson never ordered these tests.”
Floyd had a paraganglioma in his left pelvic region, according to an autopsy report cited in court documents. Schaetzel’s opinion is that Floyd became “literally scared to death” when one of the responding officers startled him and his paraganglioma began to produce abnormally high levels of catecholamines—typically either adrenaline or noradrenaline—triggering acute heart failure.
“The catecholamine crisis that led to Mr. Floyd’s death began when Officer [Thomas] Lang startled Mr. Floyd in his car,” the filing reads. “By the time Mr. Floyd was standing by the squad car, he was moribund (doomed to die).”
One of the downstream consequences of this particular type of heart failure—Takotsubo’s myocarditis—includes blood leaking into the lungs, leading to breathing difficulties. Another consequence of the catecholamine crisis that Schaetzel believes killed Floyd is a sense of “confusion, disorientation, becoming panicky, a sense of doom and terror, claustrophobia, muscle weakness, and difficulty breathing.” Notably, a passerby captured video footage of the incident, which showed Floyd complaining while restrained by Chauvin that he couldn’t breathe.
Dr. Andrew Baker, the local medical examiner who conducted Floyd’s autopsy, said the use of force was the primary cause of death. However, Baker also identified Floyd’s arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication, and use of methamphetamines as significant factors in his death.
Another medical expert, Dr. David Fowler, Maryland’s former chief medical examiner, testified that Floyd’s heart issues were primarily to blame for his death.
Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced in July 2022 to 21 years in prison.
In November 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up Chauvin’s appeal, which came several months after his petition to the Minnesota Supreme Court was denied. Neither court gave an explanation for the rejection.
Video of Floyd’s death went viral, fueling widespread public backlash. Protests and riots ensued across the country, resulting in billions of dollars in damage.
