George Floyd: Paramedics who treated him say he appeared dead when they arrived

“In layman terms, I thought he was dead,” paramedic Derek Smith said.

Smith and his partner, Seth Bravinder, testified in former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial on Thursday. Each described their unsuccessful life-saving efforts on May 25, 2020.

Inside the ambulance, Floyd was “asystole,” meaning he had flatlined and his heart showed no activity. Attempts were made to restart his heart with chest compressions, establishing an airway and electric shock, but he did not recover. They ultimately dropped him off at the hospital with no change in his status.