Police Officers

Does a viral video include real courthouse footage covering a $3 million lawsuit brought by the family of a man who died from electrocution while trying to steal "electric copper wire" from a vehicle charging station? No, that's not true: The shot purporting to show "Darius Johnson's" family was real, but was taken from the coverage of an unrelated case.…

Does a video show a true story about a veteran who shot three teens who were attempting to rob him and was then charged with murder? No, that's not true: The details of this story do not match a real case. The video uses clips from several unrelated news reports. In 2019, there was a Georgia homeowner who fatally shot…

Was there a massive walkout at the NYPD the day after a new mayor was elected in New York City? No, that's not true: "There is no walkout," a spokesperson with the NYPD told Lead Stories. The claim was made by a congressional candidate based in Texas without any proof or evidence. There are no actual news reports of the…

Is a video of police threatening to arrest a man who volunteered to clean up an elderly person's overgrown lawn for free real? No, that's not true: The opening segment of the video showing a police officer warning someone to step aside or "there's gonna be problems" is from an incident unrelated to anyone cleaning up a lawn, according to…

Did testing confirm that brightly colored candies seized by the West Palm Beach police and mentioned in the law enforcement's Halloween warning contained fentanyl? No, that's not true: According to the update shared with the public, the lab results showed that the candies contained no controlled substances. The rumor that cartels or drug dealers give away expensive substances in massive…

Does a photo show a well-dressed French detective working the case of the Crown Jewels stolen from the Louvre? No, that's not true: The original poster later said it was a "fantasy version" she did not regret posting. There is no indication that this man is a detective working this case. The viral photo, and one other from the same…

Does a picture show a Columbian fishing boat filled with cocaine before it was destroyed in the Caribbean Sea by the U.S. Naval Task Force in October 2025? No, that's not true: The photo is from a 2024 drug bust by Spanish forces that occurred 500 miles south of the Canary Islands. The story was reported in the news and…

Did MSNBC air old 2017 footage of a large crowd in Boston Common and misrepresent it as live footage of the Oct.2025 No Kings protest? No, that's not true: The footage shows the October 18, 2025 No Kings protest as it was taking place. The 2017 protest mentioned on social media took place in a different area of the Boston…

Did UK police attempt to seize a child's phone for viewing a social media post? No, that's not true: In the recording shared as "proof" of the claim, police were heard saying the reason for their visit was different. In a statement released in response to social media posts, police said that their visit to the home of a suspect,…

Does the viral image show "Matthew J. Ruth", the deceased suspect in the shooting that left three law enforcement officers dead in Pennsylvania on the night of September 17, 2025? No, that's not true: The images show a different person, who is still alive. That was confirmed to Lead Stories by the man himself and by police. The claim appeared…