Fact Check: george floyd was not murdered, he died of a fentanyl overdose

Fact Check: "George Floyd was not murdered, he died of a fentanyl overdose"

What We Know

The claim that George Floyd died solely from a fentanyl overdose rather than being murdered by police has been widely circulated. However, the official autopsy report, released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office, states that Floyd died from "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression" (source-6). While the report does note the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system, it does not attribute his death to these substances. Instead, it categorizes the manner of death as homicide (source-1).

In the context of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer charged with Floyd's murder, expert witnesses testified that Floyd's drug use and underlying health conditions were contributing factors but not the direct cause of death (source-7). The medical examiner confirmed that Floyd's death was primarily due to the actions of law enforcement, specifically the restraint techniques used during his arrest (source-5).

Analysis

The assertion that George Floyd died from a fentanyl overdose misrepresents the findings of the autopsy report and the conclusions drawn during the subsequent trial. The autopsy report explicitly states that Floyd's death was a homicide resulting from police actions, not an accidental overdose (source-3).

Furthermore, the claim has been debunked by multiple credible sources, including the Associated Press, which clarified that the information being shared as "new" was actually part of the original autopsy report released in 2020. This report has not been amended since its release (source-3). The narrative that Floyd's death was due to drug overdose has been used in defense arguments during the trial but was ultimately rejected by the jury, which found Chauvin guilty of murder (source-2).

The reliability of the sources discussing Floyd's death is high, as they include official medical reports and statements from legal experts involved in the case. The spread of misinformation regarding his cause of death often stems from misinterpretations or selective quoting of the autopsy report, which can mislead the public (source-4).

Conclusion

The claim that George Floyd was not murdered and instead died from a fentanyl overdose is False. The evidence from the autopsy report and the conclusions drawn during the trial clearly indicate that Floyd's death was a homicide caused by police actions, not solely due to drug use. The narrative suggesting otherwise misrepresents the facts and ignores the comprehensive findings of medical and legal experts.

Sources

1. Exhibit A
2. George Floyd's Cause of Death Is Crucial in Trial. Forensic ...
3. George Floyd's autopsy report is not new, does not say he died of an ...
4. Floyd's Death 'Absolutely Preventable,' Doctor Says In ...
5. Doctor who performed George Floyd autopsy stands by ...
6. PDF MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE AUTOPSY REPORT - Hennepin County
7. Heart disease, fentanyl contributed to George Floyd's death but were ...