Fact Check: george floyd could breathe because he could speak

Fact Check: "George Floyd Could Breathe Because He Could Speak"

What We Know

The claim that "George Floyd could breathe because he could speak" has been widely circulated, particularly in the context of his tragic death on May 25, 2020. This assertion was made by some police officers on the scene and has been echoed in various public discussions. According to The New York Times, Floyd repeatedly stated "I can't breathe" while being restrained by police officers, yet some officers responded by noting his ability to speak as evidence of his capacity to breathe.

Medical experts have consistently refuted this claim. As noted in AP News, the ability to speak does not necessarily indicate adequate breathing. Dr. Mariell Jessup from the American Heart Association explained that speaking only requires moving air through the upper airways and vocal cords, which does not guarantee sufficient airflow to the lungs for oxygen exchange.

Analysis

The claim that speaking implies adequate breathing is a dangerous myth. Medical professionals, including Dr. Gary Weissman, have clarified that while phonation (the act of speaking) requires some airflow, it does not ensure that enough air reaches the alveoli in the lungs where gas exchange occurs. This is critical for sustaining life, as the body requires a significant volume of air to maintain oxygen levels and remove carbon dioxide.

The AP News article further supports this by stating that the misconception is not part of any known police training curriculum. Craig Futterman, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, emphasized that there is no standard training suggesting that the ability to talk negates breathing difficulties.

The reliability of the sources is high, given their affiliations with reputable medical and academic institutions. The PMC article is authored by experts in pulmonary and critical care, providing a robust scientific basis for debunking the claim.

Conclusion

The claim that "George Floyd could breathe because he could speak" is False. Speaking does not equate to adequate breathing, as it only requires minimal airflow that does not necessarily reach the lungs for essential gas exchange. This misconception can lead to dangerous assumptions about a person's respiratory status, potentially resulting in fatal consequences, as tragically demonstrated in Floyd's case.