Derek Chauvin verdict: Twitter slams first police report calling George Floyd's death a 'medical incident'
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges against him on April 20, Tuesday. The former Minneapolis Police officer had put his knee to George Floyd's neck despite the victim repeatedly claiming it was getting harder for him to breathe. The charges against Chauvin were second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
However, the first report filed by the police in 2020 following George Floyd's death in May 2020 had claimed that the "officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical-distress". The report also claimed that the officers had called an ambulance. The report's headline read, "Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction."
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This report is now being revisited by people on social media, who question the police officers behind the said report. One user shared the screenshot of the initial report and wrote, "This fabricated police story might have become the official account of George Floyd’s death if concerned citizens had not intervened and recorded the police."
Another user quoted the report, "'At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident. No officers were injured in the incident.'” and said, "I have no words..."
“At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident.”
— RICH Boone (@opiedog8) April 20, 2021
“No officers were injured in the incident.”
I have no words...
One user tweeted, "There is no way in the world that this is true. This cannot be the version of the story originally communicated by the police department regarding the murder of George Floyd. It appears that this would have been a big issue leading up to the case if it was true. This is shocking." To this, another user said, "That’s the thing-police statements and reports are usually completely full of lies. But people have this idea that cops have an interest in truth or justice..."
That’s the thing-police statements and reports are usually completely full of lies. But people have this idea that cops have an interest in truth or justice...
— Albuss (@Albuss44) April 20, 2021
One user then noted, "The English language is a SUPREMELY powerful weapon. Look at advertisers, politicians, pundits, PR workers, spin doctors, etc. You can word things to have 0 inaccuracies, but give the exact opposite impression of what truly happened. It's quite scary." In response to this another user said, "ESPECIALLY when you want to kill unarmed Black people!"
ESPECIALLY when you want to kill unarmed Black people!
— TotallyTLH (@Divalicious909) April 20, 2021
The officers had responded to a call from a store owner who suspected that Floyd had used a $20 counterfeit bill to buy cigarettes. However, it has been revealed that it was not confirmed if Floyd did really use a counterfeit bill and one user responded to this and said, ""Forgery in progress"? So they claimed to have caught him in the act of making fake $20 bills?"
Another said, "The sad thing is that they never found out. The cashier suspected he used a counterfeit bill but it was never confirmed. Still even if it was fake $20 isnt worth losing your life."
The sad thing is that they never found out. The cashier suspected he used a counterfeit bill but it was never confirmed. Still even if it was fake $20 isnt worth losing your life.
— Jako_the_Maned_wolf (Comms open!!) (@JakoWolf) April 20, 2021
There were also objections in general to cops using full force in case of guilty suspects as well. One shared a picture that read, "Cops aren't supposed to kill guilty people either," and to this another responded, "people seriously seems to forget that, they are not judge,jury executioner."
people seriously seems to forget that, they are not judge,jury executioner
— darkspirit (@bubbelspirit) April 21, 2021