Five years have passed since George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. The viral video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds galvanized a global uprising for racial justice.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of police misconduct — including eyewitness accounts, expert testimony, and two separate autopsies — a false and harmful narrative continues to circulate: that George Floyd died of a drug overdose, not from asphyxiation caused by Chauvin’s actions.
This lie, first spread in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s death, is now at the center of renewed calls to release Chauvin — including a May 2025 post by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who claimed: “George Floyd died of a drug overdose.” That claim is not only false — it’s been repeatedly and publicly debunked.
What the Autopsies Said
Two autopsies were conducted in late May and early June 2020:
- May 29, 2020: The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released preliminary findings indicating that George Floyd died of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression” — in other words, his heart and lungs stopped functioning due to the way police restrained him.
[Source: https://www.hennepin.us/medicalexaminer]- The final report, released June 1, 2020, classified Floyd’s death as a homicide.
- It also noted “fentanyl intoxication” and “recent methamphetamine use” as “other significant conditions,” but did not list drugs as the cause of death.
- The toxicology results showed 11 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of fentanyl and 19 ng/mL of methamphetamine in Floyd’s system.
- Forensic experts testified during the trial that while these levels might affect behavior, they were not enough to be fatal for a person with Floyd’s tolerance, and his cause of death was not consistent with a drug overdose.
- Importantly, Floyd was conscious, speaking, and able to plead for help for several minutes — a state inconsistent with a fentanyl overdose, which typically causes sedation and unconsciousness.
- June 1, 2020: An independent autopsy commissioned by Floyd’s family, conducted by renowned forensic pathologists Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, concluded that Floyd died of mechanical asphyxiation (suffocation) due to sustained pressure on his neck and back by Chauvin.
[Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/george-floyd-family-independent-autopsy-says-he-died-sustained-force-n1221396]- Baden and Wilson said Floyd had no underlying medical problems that would have caused or contributed to his death.
- Their report emphasized that pressure on the neck and back led directly to the inability to breathe — echoing what Floyd himself said 27 times during the arrest: “I can’t breathe.”
Why the Overdose Lie Spreads — and Keeps Spreading
The presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine, mentioned in the official autopsy as “significant conditions”, was immediately seized upon by conservative media outlets and influencers. Despite both autopsies declaring the death a homicide caused by police restraint, the fentanyl detail was distorted to support a political narrative.
This disinformation was spread by:
- Tucker Carlson on Fox News, who falsely claimed Floyd “almost certainly died of a drug overdose.”
- Candace Owens, whose 2022 film The Greatest Lie Ever Sold promoted the overdose theory and was amplified by rapper Ye.
- Politicians like Rep. Greene who continue to repeat the claim despite a jury conviction and federal civil rights findings.
Experts have noted that such falsehoods thrive in the social media environment, where inflammatory claims are often rewarded with virality and financial gain. Dr. Ramesh Srinivasan of UCLA noted that platforms reward antagonistic and oversimplified narratives, especially when tied to high-profile racial justice events.
What the Jury and Federal Investigators Found
In 2021, Derek Chauvin was convicted of:
- Second-degree unintentional murder
- Third-degree murder
- Second-degree manslaughter
He also pleaded guilty to two federal civil rights violations — one involving Floyd and another involving a 14-year-old boy. Chauvin is serving over 20 years in federal prison.
In 2023, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation concluded that the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in a pattern of systemic abuse, including unlawful use of force and racial discrimination, especially targeting Black and Native American communities.
[Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-minneapolis-police-department-engaged-pattern-practice]
Facts Matter — and So Does Accountability
The science, the evidence, and the law are clear:
George Floyd was killed by police violence, not by drugs.
Those perpetuating the overdose narrative are not just misinformed — they’re intentionally misleading the public to rewrite history, discredit Black victims of violence, and delegitimize the movement for racial justice that arose in Floyd’s name.
As we mark five years since George Floyd’s murder, it’s more important than ever to reject misinformation and stand firm in the truth: George Floyd’s life was stolen by abuse of power, and no lie can change that.