Crime

Urban legends deal with our fears and worries, so a good many of them fall within a category encompassing crime and criminals. Not only do we have concerns about others’ preying on us and our property; we also laugh at the ones foolish enough to get caught and cheer the police who outwit them.

Yes, a Tiger Was on the Loose in Houston Neighborhood Police believe the tiger's owner is also the suspect in a November 2020 murder case.

True

Does Finding Cheese on Your Car Hood Mean You Are in Danger? Human traffickers are too smart to try to snatch unwitting victims from public parking lots...

False

Does Video Show CIT Drivers Avoiding Armed Robbery? The four-minute video looks like a scene from an action movie.

True

Is This Meme About Adam Toledo and Kyle Rittenhouse Accurate? Some social media users drew comparisons between two high-profile incidents involving teens.

Mixture

Did Ma’Khia Bryant Make 911 Call to Police Because She Was Being Threatened? We looked at the available information surrounding who made the initial 911 call on April...

Research In Progress

We explored claims that U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters condoned violence and looting during the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles.

Did Maxine Waters ‘Condone’ Violence, Looting During 1992 LA Riots? The long-serving congresswoman's comments were taken out of context.

False

Derek Chauvin, convicted of the murder of George Floyd, was a police training officer. Kim Potter, charged with second-degree manslaughter of Daunte Wright, was also a police training officer and president of her police union.

Were Both Derek Chauvin and Kim Potter Police Training Officers? Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, while Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter of...

True

Yes, the Las Vegas Raiders Tweeted ‘I Can Breathe’ After Chauvin Conviction Many online observers criticized what they presented as a crass play on words by the...

Correct Attribution

Will Ex-Minneapolis Cop Derek Chauvin Spend Life In Prison? A jury convicted the 45-year-old man of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd's death.

Unproven

Did the Families of Emmett Till and George Floyd Watch Chauvin Verdict Together? A cousin of Emmett Till and a brother of George Floyd appeared together in an...

Unproven

Nancy Pelosi thanked George Floyd for sacrificing your life.

Did Nancy Pelosi Thank George Floyd for ‘Sacrificing’ His Life? The remarks in question followed the reading of the verdict in the trial of Derek...

Correct Attribution

Did Minn. Police Say George Floyd Died of ‘Medical Incident During Police Interaction’? The Minneapolis Police Department’s May 2020 statement about George Floyd’s death obscured the full story.

True