Doctor denies giving Jackson painkiller injection: Report

A lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said reports that the physician injected the star with a powerful painkiller before his death were "absolutely false," the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday.

"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for doctor Conrad Murray, was quoted as saying by the Times.

Chernoff could not be immediately contacted for comment. Murray's role in Jackson's death has been the subject of scrutiny from members of the pop star's family.

It had been widely reported that the physician administered an injection of Demerol to Jackson roughly one hour before the 50-year-old star collapsed at his home last on Thursday.

On Saturday, family advisor Reverend Jesse Jackson told the media the family were demanding a full account of Murray's actions.

Murray underwent three hours of questioning by detectives on Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday police did not believe he was guilty of wrongdoing, saying there was "no smoking gun."

Chernoff told the Times that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home. Chernoff said Jackson "wasn't breathing. He checked for a pulse. There was a weak pulse in his femoral artery. He started administering CPR."

The doctor had not "furnished or prescribed" Jackson with Demerol, Chernoff said, revealing that it was Murray who had recommended an autopsy to the singer's family.

"He was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.

Source: TOI