Chauvin's restraint acted like 'vise' on Floyd's breathing, expert says

One more day of April car wash. Showers are likely, again, after midnight. Lows tonight will be in the upper 40s. Tomorrow will be another rainy day with a chance of patchy fog in some parts of the state. Highs Friday will be in the lower 50s.Get the latest from Updraft.

A pulmonologist, testifying in the trial of Derek Chauvin, says George Floyd died because of low levels of oxygen.

Dr. Martin Tobin said by handcuffing and pinning Floyd to the street, the officers essentially placed Floyd's left side in a vise.

"It’s totally being pushed in, squeezed in from each side — from the street at the bottom, and then the way the handcuffs are manipulated. It’s not just the handcuffs — it’s how the handcuffs are being held, how they’re being pushed, where they're being pushed that totally interfere with central features of how we breathe."

Tobin also says Floyd's prone position, combined Chauvin's knees pressed into his neck and side, deprived him of oxygen.

The cause of Floyd’s death is taking shape as a key dispute in the murder trial, as Chauvin’s attorney contends drug use and poor health were to blame.

The number of COVID-19 cases each day continues to trend upward, even as vaccination efforts accelerate.

Active cases are trending now at levels not seen since the start of the year. Hospitalizations and deaths also continue to slowly climb. There are now 565 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals, and the age of people needing to be hospitalized is trending younger.

But there have now been more than 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across the state. More than 1.9 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and the state is on track to have 50 percent of adults vaccinated within two weeks.