The death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, sparked global protests and conversations about racial injustice and police brutality. Amidst the widespread attention, misinformation surrounding the circumstances of his death has also circulated online. One recurring false claim alleges that a new autopsy report from 2023 revealed George Floyd died from a drug overdose, not from police actions during his arrest. This claim often surfaces alongside questions about Where Was George Floyd Killed, suggesting a possible attempt to distract from the actual location and events of his death.
To clarify, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South. This location, in front of Cup Foods grocery store, has become a significant memorial site and a symbol of the movement for Black Lives. It’s crucial to understand the facts surrounding his death and debunk the false narratives that continue to emerge.
The false claim about a new autopsy report is easily refuted by examining publicly available information. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office released the full 20-page autopsy report on June 3, 2020, not in 2023. This original report clearly states the cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” While the report did note the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system and stated “no life-threatening injuries identified” in one section, it unequivocally concluded that the manner of death was homicide.
Alt text: News image related to Ukraine, part of Associated Press coverage, shown to provide context and links within the original article, not directly related to George Floyd.
Social media posts spreading this misinformation often selectively highlight the page of the autopsy report listing drugs in Floyd’s system and the phrase “no life-threatening injuries identified,” while ignoring the crucial conclusion on the preceding page that clearly states homicide as the manner of death due to police actions. These posts misleadingly suggest that this information is newly released, aiming to create doubt about the established facts of the case.
Carolyn Marinan, a spokesperson for Hennepin County, has confirmed that the autopsy report “has not been amended or changed since it was finalized on June 1, 2020.” Similarly, John Stiles, deputy chief of staff for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, stated that the image circulating online is “a page ripped from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s 2020 autopsy” and presents “nothing new.”
During the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, defense attorneys indeed focused on the presence of drugs in Floyd’s system. However, expert witnesses called by the prosecution testified that Floyd died from lack of oxygen due to the restraint, not from a drug overdose. Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. Three other officers involved, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, were also convicted and received prison sentences for their roles in Floyd’s death at the location of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis.
Alt text: Image of a Social Security card, used in the original article to link to a fact-check about false claims regarding Social Security payments to deceased individuals, unrelated to George Floyd’s case.
Independent medical experts have also affirmed that the underlying medical conditions and drug use mentioned in the autopsy report do not negate the conclusion of homicide. These factors might have made George Floyd more vulnerable to the stress of the situation, but the primary cause of death remained the actions of law enforcement. The phrase “no life-threatening injuries identified” in the autopsy refers to the absence of internal damage that would typically cause death, not to the absence of asphyxia. Asphyxia, the cause of death in this case, does not always leave visible marks on the body.
The attempt to misrepresent the autopsy findings and shift blame away from law enforcement is a clear example of misinformation. Understanding where George Floyd was killed – at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis – and the true cause of his death, as determined by the original autopsy and confirmed in court, is essential to combating these false narratives. It is crucial to rely on credible sources like official reports and reputable news organizations like the Associated Press, rather than social media posts designed to mislead and distort the facts of this tragic event.
Alt text: File photo of a briefing by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, used in the original article as a visual link to a fact-check about an ICE van fire, unrelated to the topic of George Floyd.
