The GUARDIAN (19 MAY 2021) Read the full article ‘They kill the person twice’: police spread falsehoods after using deadly force, analysis finds
“It was so horrible, it was nothing but lies,”
A review of California cases shows that law enforcement frequently publish highly misleading information about people they’ve killed – just like the first George Floyd press release. “The press release about George Floyd was not an anomaly,” said Jody David Armour, a University of Southern California law professor and expert on policing. “This is ordinary operating procedures for police departments across the nation.”
On the day of George Floyd’s killing, Minneapolis police published a short press release titled “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction”.
The news alert on 25 May said an unnamed man “appeared to be suffering medical distress” and died soon after at a hospital, making no mention of the officer kneeling on his neck. The statement has since sparked national backlash as an example of police flagrantly misrepresenting a murder committed by an officer. That press release, however, was not unique.
Police cite vague “medical emergencies”, without disclosing that officers had caused the emergencies through their use of force. Police departments falsely claim that civilians are armed or on drugs. In most instances, media outlets repeat the police version of events with little skepticism.
