The Houston clinic of Michael Jackson’s physician, Dr Conrad Murray, has been raided by officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Dr Murray’s spokeswoman told the BBC the raid "was a surprise to us and it was a surprise to the attorneys".

The doctor was at the singer’s mansion and tried to revive him before he died on 25 June.

DEA spokeswoman Violet Szeleczky confirmed a search was carried out but said it was not technically a raid.

Officers "did not raid" the clinic, she told the AFP news agency.

"What this is is the Los Angeles police department have an investigation and they came to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and they asked us to help them effect a state search warrant here," she added.

Dr Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said earlier his client had been helping police with their inquiries.

Mr Chernoff said investigators had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided by Murray.

"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal," said Mr Chernoff in a statement on his law firm’s website on Tuesday.

Painkiller denial

Speaking a few days after Jackson’s death, Mr Chernoff denied Dr Murray administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer’s death.

"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard"

Dr Conrad Murray

Any drugs his client may have given to Jackson were in response to a specific health complaint, the lawyer added.

He said the star still had a faint pulse and was warm when Dr Murray found him in bed.

Mr Chernoff said: "He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn’t breathing."

Paramedics were called to Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion while Dr Murray was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.

Mr Chernoff said in Tuesday’s statement that Dr Murray had since received unwelcome attention from those angry over the singer’s untimely death.

"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Mr Chernoff said.

He added: "Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard.

"He can’t operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The Houston clinic of Michael Jackson’s physician, Dr Conrad Murray, has been raided by officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Dr Murray’s spokeswoman told the BBC the raid "was a surprise to us and it was a surprise to the attorneys".

The doctor was at the singer’s mansion and tried to revive him before he died on 25 June.

DEA spokeswoman Violet Szeleczky confirmed a search was carried out but said it was not technically a raid.

Officers "did not raid" the clinic, she told the AFP news agency.

"What this is is the Los Angeles police department have an investigation and they came to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and they asked us to help them effect a state search warrant here," she added.

Dr Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said earlier his client had been helping police with their inquiries.

Mr Chernoff said investigators had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided by Murray.

"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal," said Mr Chernoff in a statement on his law firm’s website on Tuesday.

Painkiller denial

Speaking a few days after Jackson’s death, Mr Chernoff denied Dr Murray administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer’s death.

"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard"

Dr Conrad Murray

Any drugs his client may have given to Jackson were in response to a specific health complaint, the lawyer added.

He said the star still had a faint pulse and was warm when Dr Murray found him in bed.

Mr Chernoff said: "He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn’t breathing."

Paramedics were called to Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion while Dr Murray was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.

Mr Chernoff said in Tuesday’s statement that Dr Murray had since received unwelcome attention from those angry over the singer’s untimely death.

"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Mr Chernoff said.

He added: "Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard.

"He can’t operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.