With George Floyd, a Raging Debate Over Bias in the Science of Death

Critics say the profession of forensic pathology has been slow to acknowledge how big a role bias may play in decisions such as whether to classify a death in police custody as a homicide.

MINNEAPOLIS — From the beginning, the death of George Floyd disrupted the field of forensic pathology in much the way it challenged policing. Days after Mr. Floyd’s death on May 25, prosecutors said it was caused not just by the police officer kneeling on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, but also by his underlying health conditions and drug use. Critics protested that the finding reflected racial bias — and served as a prime example of how forensic pathology has failed to do enough to counter its own subjectivity in decisions such as whether to classify a death in police custody as a homicide.