CLAIM: A new autopsy report for George Floyd has been released in 2023, revealing he died from a drug overdose, not from the actions of arresting Minneapolis police officers.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Social media users are circulating a page from the 20-page autopsy report that was publicly released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office in full on June 3, 2020. It remains unchanged. Although the page mentions the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system and states “no life-threatening injuries,” the complete report concludes Floyd died from “cardiopulmonary arrest,” not an overdose.
The Facts
As the three-year milestone since Floyd’s death approached, false claims about new evidence regarding his death spread on social media. Many posts included a page from the autopsy report, implying it was not public before. This page listed drugs found in Floyd’s system and stated, “no life-threatening injuries identified.” One viral post declared, “BREAKING NEWS: George Floyd full autopsy released,” receiving more than 48,000 likes and over 16,000 shares by Friday. Another post, liked by over 29,600 users, inaccurately claimed that the report indicated Floyd died from drugs, not law enforcement actions.
The image circulating online is the second page of the autopsy report released three years ago by Hennepin County. It does not reveal new information and omits the previous page, which concludes Floyd’s death as a homicide due to “cardiopulmonary arrest” stemming from “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” Carolyn Marinan, a spokesperson for Hennepin County, affirmed that the report has remained unchanged since June 1, 2020. John Stiles, Deputy Chief of Staff for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, confirmed the page is from the 2020 report and does not present any new findings.
During his murder trial, Derek Chauvin’s defense highlighted fentanyl and other substances found in Floyd’s system. Chauvin was convicted and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. Three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao — also received prison sentences for their roles in Floyd’s death. Prosecutors presented expert witnesses during the trial who testified that Floyd did not die from an overdose or drug use.
Independent experts have told the AP that underlying health issues and drug use indicated in the autopsy do not alter the conclusion of homicide. These conditions increased the likelihood of adverse effects under stress. Experts also noted that the absence of significant bruising or injury — as stated by “no life-threatening injuries identified” — does not mean asphyxia did not occur, simply that no signs were found on the body. Stiles described the use of this phrase in false online posts as “cherry-picked” and highlighted that it “demonstrates the limitations of an autopsy by itself in determining death by asphyxiation.”
This article is part of AP’s ongoing effort to address misinformation, including collaborations with external organizations to provide factual context for misleading online content. More information on fact-checking at AP is available online.