The police bodycam footage showing the incident that led to the death of George Floyd has been leaked. The footage provides more context on the incident and the false narratives have already begun to swirl. Some in the anti-Floyd crowd went into full-on spin mode in response to the footage, implying that it justifies the actions of the officers during the encounter. 

Conversely, others rightly condemned news outlets like CNN, who had access to the footage two weeks earlier and left out some key parts in order to promote a narrative. But, amid the debate over the killing and the riots that followed, some have been using deceptive arguments to cover for the government officials who were involved in the incident that took Floyd’s life. 

In this video, I take on the most common lies about the story:

Many on the right focused on Floyd’s resisting arrest and erratic behavior. Indeed, he was clearly high, and while he was not violent, it is evident that he was resisting arrest. There is no doubt that Floyd’s conduct was not perfect during this encounter — he should not have resisted. However, some are hyperfocused on this issue as a way of distracting from the fact that a government official brazenly killed an American citizen in broad daylight. 

But this brings me to the main lie that the anti-Floyd crowd is spreading. Some — not all — on the right are claiming that former Police Officer Derek Chauvin’s actions are not what caused Floyd to die. They cite the autopsy report that acknowledges that he had fentanyl and other drugs in his system at the time. 

However, what they tend to leave out is the fact that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide. This means that Floyd was killed by another person: Derek Chauvin. You can read the press release here. Yes, there were likely underlying issues related to drugs that contributed to his death, but it is clear that the officer’s actions were the cause of death, which is why it was ruled as a homicide. 

It’s also important to remember that the “homicide” designation does not automatically mean that Chauvin is guilty of murder. The jury will decide on the legal disposition of the homicide. My prediction is that both sides will be disappointed in the verdict. 

Others have also stated that the new footage proves that Chauvin is not a racist. However, none of the footage that has emerged about this incident proves or disproves his racial attitudes. Put simply, we can’t read his mind. For this reason, I prefer to focus on the statism, rather than the racism in situations such as this. 

As for the officers, the next hearing is set for September 11 and a trial date is set for March 8 next year. Hopefully, justice will be served. 

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