News

Police Department Investigating Valentine Post Mocking George Floyd 

   DailyWire.com
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 13: Terrance Floyd (R), the brother of George Floyd, attends a unveiling of a mural painted by artist Kenny Altidor depicting George Floyd on a sidewall of CTown Supermarket on July 13, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough New York City. George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis and his death has sparked a national reckoning about race and policing in the United States. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has launched an investigation into the alleged spreading of a Valentine’s Day-style image mocking George Floyd, who died in police custody this summer, an incident caught on video that sparked massive civil unrest.

The image in question reportedly includes a photo of Floyd’s face and the words, “You take my breath away.”

“The Department has become aware of allegations that an image was being passed around the department and this image was in the workplace,” LAPD HQ posted via Twitter on Saturday. “There are also allegations that the post with the image was authored by a department employee.”

“A personnel complaint has been initiated and we are pursuing each allegation including interviewing the department member who brought it to our attention,” the department added.

Though the complaint was made, the department said it has not identified the image to be in the workplace and has not found evidence that it was created by an employee.

“At this point the Department has not identified any actual postings in the workplace or identified that it was in fact our department employee who created the image,” the LAPD said. “We have raised the apparent existence of the image and directed commands to survey the worksites for it.”

“If found any employee or supervisor is directed to take possession and identify those present. The Department will have zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” the department added.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd. He’s set to stand trial in March. “Three other former officers are scheduled to stand trial in the summer in order to cut down on congestion in the court room and to abide by coronavirus protocols,” The Daily Wire noted.

“Floyd’s death ignited protests and riots that rocked U.S. cities for months afterward as thousands of people marched in streets, set fire to police buildings, destroyed property, and looted stores. In the most extreme cases, individuals were hurt or killed,” The Daily Wire reported. “Retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, for example, died defending a local business from being robbed amid a riot there.”

Floyd died after Chauvin held him down with his knee on his neck for over eight minutes. In a toxicology report, it was found that methamphetamines and fentanyl were in Floyd’s system. According to Chief Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker, an independent medical examiner who performed an autopsy on Floyd, evidence suggests Floyd died of a drug overdose, according to court documents. However, the medical examiner concluded that Floyd’s death was a homicide. The Daily Wire reported in August:

New court documents have uncovered two memorandums, dated May 26 and June 1, that suggest Chief Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker concluded George Floyd likely died from a fentanyl overdose and found “no physical evidence suggesting” that he died of asphyxiation.

“AB (Andrew Baker) said that if Mr. Floyd had been found dead in his home (or anywhere else) and there were no other contributing factors he would conclude that it was an overdose death,” says a memo dated June 1, outlining a May 31 virtual with Dr. Baker.

The memos seemingly run contrary to the Armed Forces medical examiner and Hennepin County medical examiner’s final conclusion that Floyd’s death was a homicide.

“His death was caused by the police subdual and restraint in the setting of severe hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication,” the Armed Forces medical examiner found, according to FOX 9.

Related: WATCH: Police Bodycam Footage Shows Moment-By-Moment Arrest Of George Floyd For The First Time

Got a tip worth investigating?

Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today and make a difference.

Submit Tip
The Daily Wire   >  Read   >  Police Department Investigating Valentine Post Mocking George Floyd