Police Officers

Did an image shared on social media capture the recent arrest of a "45-year-old British mother in the UK" later sentenced to nine months in prison for a Facebook post? No, that's not true: The image first appeared online in 2017. It documented a drug bust. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on April 16,…

Did "New York police" say publicly in April 2025 that President Donald Trump's height and weight were 5'10" and 287 pounds? No, that's not true: Neither the New York Police Department nor the New York State Police made any statement about Trump's physical attributes in response to the publication of his annual physical examination. According to Trump's physician, U.S. Navy…

Do posts about a "young boy, around 3 years old," found in The Bronx express authentic concern about the child said to have been found unattended "an hour ago"? No, that's not true: The content of these posts was later replaced with real estate images and obscure links. This is a common tactic to trick people into disclosing sensitive personal…

Are Facebook posts reporting a baby boy was found "abandoned by the roadside roughly an hour ago" in March and April 2025 genuine? No, that's not true: The posts are part of a bait-and-switch scam designed to lure social media users into sharing content that then flips into an unrelated page to boost dubious real estate and marketing promotions. The…

Did Mooresville police warn about zip ties laced with fentanyl being placed on tire rims by sex or drug traffickers as claimed in several viral Facebook posts? No, that's not true: The Mooresville Police Department denied the rumor in a Facebook post of their own. Despite what urban legends say, fentanyl is not easily absorbed through skin contact so even…

Does a viral video show Mexico closing the U.S. border in response to President Trump's announcement about imposing tariffs on March 3, 2025? No, that's not true: The video predated the announcement by several days. The gate closure seen in the video happened during a protest against security-related delays on the Mexican side of the crossing. At the time of…

Does a post warning of a "dangerous Hispanic couple" who purportedly killed three female police officers describe a real situation? No, that's not true: There is no recent crime involving a couple who killed three female police officers. The two photos in this post are real people but they are not a couple. The woman pictured is currently serving a…

Does a photo genuinely show a man in a "Latinos for Trump 2024" shirt being taken away by agents wearing "POLICE ICE" labels on their backs? No, that's not true: The photo is based on an original from 2018, and several elements in the picture have been added or edited. The logo on the man's shirt was not present in…

Did the Fraternal Order of Police rescind its endorsement of President Donald Trump in response to the sweeping January 6 pardons he gave after his 2025 swearing-in? No, that's not true: The Fraternal Order of Police issued a letter that criticized pardons by both Trump and former President Joe Biden of people convicted of violence against law enforcement officers, but…

Did President Joe Biden pardon Michael Byrd, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who allegedly killed Ashli Babbitt during the January 6, 2021, protest? No, that's not true: None of the pardons he issued mentioned Byrd directly. Also, the blanket pardon Biden signed for police officers from the Capitol Police who testified before the January 6 Select Committee didn't cover Byrd…