Police Officers

Does a viral video of "National Guard troops" prove that New York is about to declare martial law? No, that's not true: The particular unit captured on camera has been patrolling transportation hubs in New York City since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. According to the spokesperson for the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs,…

Did Kamala Harris hit a 13-year-old girl with a car and leave the scene in 2011? No, that's not true: The "KBSF-TV" news station cited in the social media post does not exist in San Francisco and the website that posted the article was created two weeks before the post appeared. The San Francisco Police Department told Lead Stories they…

Did 32 armed Venezuelans with motorcycles trespass and take over a Chicago apartment complex on September 2, 2024? No, that's not true: The only evidence cited online for the claim is a recording of a Chicago police dispatcher relaying what was told to her by a caller, the kind of report that can be made without corroboration or evidence by…

Does a viral picture of U.K. police officers appearing to kneel to a group of men in traditional Islamic clothes portray a real-life scene? No, that's not true: Three AI detectors said the image was generated using AI. The image showed classic indicators of that such as missing body parts and unnaturally positioned limbs. The image reappeared in a post…

Does a social media video show police apprehending a elderly man on a scooter who was involved in a "far-right" riot in the United Kingdom in 2024? No, that's not true: At least two media organizations have reported that this video shows a police incident in Amsterdam in 2022. This video footage does not show a participant in one of…

Does a viral image show a suspect in the U.K. stabbing that left three little girls dead in July 2024? No, that's not true: Posts on social media recycled an unrelated image from 2023. The police did not disclose the identity of the person arrested or release an image of him. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Was the suspect in the Southport, England, knife attack in July 2024 an immigrant? No, that's not true: The 17-year-old suspect was born in Cardiff, Wales, said Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. Wales is part of the United Kingdom. No evidence or credible reports support the immigrant claim. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) published…

Does a video show Thomas Matthew Crooks, identified by authorities as the man who shot at former President Donald Trump, shouting, "slash Republican throats"? No, that's not true: An Arizona State University official told Lead Stories that the FBI, in an unrelated 2020 investigation, identified the man filmed shouting threats on the Tempe campus and that he was not Thomas…

Did Secret Service personnel grin widely, showing their teeth, while escorting former President Trump to safety after the assassination attempt at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: A tool created to detect ai-generated images found substantial evidence the image had been remade with generative ai systems.…

Was British activist Tommy Robinson arrested in Canada for expressing anti-Islam views? No, that's not true: In a video of his arrest, the plainclothes Canada Border Services Agency officers who handcuffed Robinson said he was arrested on an "outstanding immigration warrant." They also suggested the activist lied about his criminal history on his visa application to enter Canada. The claim…