Two experts presented conflicting opinions on the death of McKenzie Cochran, a man who died in 2014 after being pinned to the floor by security guards at a Detroit-area mall. The Oakland County medical examiner stood by the initial ruling that Cochran’s death was accidental, citing his enlarged heart as a contributing factor. However, another forensic pathologist suggested that the manner of death should be labeled as “indeterminate” or possibly a homicide.
Cochran, 25, had repeatedly stated “I can’t breathe” while being restrained by the guards, eventually leading to his death by asphyxiation. Dr. Carl Schmidt, brought into the case years later by State Attorney General Dana Nessel, disagreed with the accident classification, stating that certain individuals may not be able to breathe adequately when restrained in a face-down position on the ground, leading to potential heart failure.
The incident took place at Northland Center in Southfield, where guards were called following reports of trouble in a mall store involving Cochran, who was resisting restraint. Three guards are currently on trial for involuntary manslaughter over a decade after Cochran’s death. Despite Cochran’s death being ruled as an accident back in 2014, Nessel revisited the case in 2021 after it gained attention during the 2020 race for prosecutor.
The doctor who performed Cochran’s autopsy, Cheryl Loewe, has since passed away, leading defense lawyers to present her boss, Dr. L.J. Dragovic, to speak to jurors. Dragovic defended the original autopsy report, stating that there was no basis to change the classification from accidental given the critical evidence supporting it. He criticized Schmidt’s conclusions as “strange” and clarified that intentional and purposeful acts would be considered differently.
The conflict at the mall began when a jewelry store owner reported Cochran’s threatening behavior, leading to his refusal to leave and eventual altercation with the guards. Five guards were involved in restraining Cochran, with one guard pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter recently. Notably, a guard who played a leading role in the incident passed away in 2017.
