State, independent autopsies agree on homicide in George Floyd case, but clash on underlying cause

People wear protective face masks during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in front of a U.S. consulate, in Barcelona, Spain June 1, 2020. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

(Reuters) - A medical examiner's office on Monday ruled that the death of George Floyd, the black man whose killing in Minneapolis police custody last week triggered nationwide protests, was a homicide and that he died from asphyxiation.

The medical examiner's finding that the death was a homicide confirms the same conclusion of the independent autopsy that was also released on Monday, but there are key differences over the cause.