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As many other elected officials in Maryland did, Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) on Tuesday celebrated the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd鈥檚 death, turning to Twitter to call for further criminal justice reform.
鈥淭his verdict confirms what every person who watched the video already knew,鈥� Frosh tweeted Tuesday after the jury delivered their verdict. 鈥淛ustice has been done. But, this cannot be the end. Systemic problems with policing & with equal justice require reform.鈥�
鈥淢D has taken steps to improve the quality of policing & the quality of justice,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲ork remains to be done. Our office is committed to continuing that work.鈥�
But the family of Anton Black, a 19-year-old who died after being in police custody on the Eastern Shore in 2018, said Wednesday they were 鈥渟urprised鈥� at Frosh鈥檚 words. They noted that he is defending Maryland鈥檚 former chief medical examiner, Dr. David Fowler, in a wrongful death lawsuit that the family has filed 鈥� and by implication supports the idea that Black鈥檚 death was an accident rather than a homicide.
鈥淩eform and accountability start at home,鈥� the Black family said in a statement. 鈥淚f AG Frosh is sincere, he can prove it by doing the work to secure justice in the lawsuit brought by Anton Black鈥檚 family 鈥� exactly the type of reform Frosh says is needed.鈥�
Like Floyd, Black was subdued under the weight of law enforcement officers for several minutes before he died. Frosh acknowledged the final moments of Floyd鈥檚 life on Twitter Tuesday.
鈥淲e watched the life being crushed from #GeorgeFloyd in slow motion, over 9 陆 minutes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e hope that this verdict brings a small measure of relief to Mr. Floyd鈥檚 family.鈥�
The Black family is fighting for similar acknowledgment from the state in a聽聽they filed late last year.
鈥淎nton Black was pinned down by police for six minutes after being handcuffed,鈥� they said. 鈥淎nton Black died as a direct result of police restraint and use of force, but because Dr. Fowler鈥檚 office refused to acknowledge that Anton鈥檚 death was a homicide, his family has been forced to fight to even have his death acknowledged.鈥�
According to an聽聽published by聽The Baltimore Sun, Fowler, who聽聽during Chauvin鈥檚 murder trial, ruled that sudden cardiac death with factors contributed by Black鈥檚 diagnosis of bipolar disorder was the cause of his death.
During his testimony at Chauvin鈥檚 trial last week, Fowler issued a similar opinion.
鈥淚n my opinion, Mr. Floyd had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia due to his atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease 鈥� you can write that down multiple different ways 鈥� during his restraint and subdual by the police,鈥� he told the court.
Fowler is a聽聽in the Black family鈥檚 lawsuit, which claims that excessive force, racial bias and 鈥減ositional asphyxiation鈥� caused their son鈥檚 death.
The Black family said in their statement Wednesday that Frosh is actively 鈥渇ighting against鈥� them by 鈥渃laiming that they don鈥檛 even have a case.鈥�
鈥淚n this moment, AG Frosh must acknowledge the eerie and terrifying similarity between the police murders of George Floyd and of Anton Black and act to ensure accountability is finally served on the officers who killed Anton and the medical examiners who covered up for them,鈥� they said.
As attorney general, Frosh is required to represent the state employees and agencies that are the subject of the Black family鈥檚 ongoing lawsuit.
Because the suit is still being litigated, a spokesperson for Frosh declined to comment on the family鈥檚 statement Wednesday.
