Maryland to investigate Derek Chauvin defense witness’ tenure as state’s chief medical examiner

Maryland officials will conduct an investigation into all deaths that happened in police custody that were overseen by the state’s former chief medical examiner, who testified as a defense witness in the trial for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Maryland attorney general and governor’s offices announced Friday. Chauvin was convicted last week of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd,

Dr. David Fowler, who was Maryland’s chief medical examiner from 2002 to 2019 and is now a member of a consulting firm, testified that the primary cause of Floyd’s death was a sudden heart rhythm disturbance during police restraint due to underlying heart disease.

The retired forensic pathologist also said the fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system, and possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust, were contributing factors in his death. Fowler’s testimony contradicted other experts who testified Floyd died due to a lack of oxygen…

The letter called for probes at the state and federal level into Fowler’s medical license as well as a review into the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner during Fowler’s 17-year tenure.

Raquel Coombs, a spokeswoman for Frosh, said the office had been having internal discussions for weeks about launching an investigation into in-custody death reports conducted during Fowler’s tenure and contacted the governor’s office about how to proceed, the Washington Post reported.

“We agree that it is appropriate for independent experts to review reports issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) regarding deaths in custody,” Coombs said in a statement. “We are already in conversations with the Governor’s Office about the need for such a review, and have offered to coordinate it.”