During the 1890s a furious controversy erupted in France over the guilt or innocence of Albert Drefus, a French Jewish officer charged with espionage. He was convicted by a French army court, but as it turned out there was incontrovertible proof of his innocence. However, the proof reflected some dishonor on the military authorities, and many French citizens would not accept the fact that Drefus was not guilty. The issue tore the country apart. Those who wanted to condemn Drefus said “the truth be damned.” At the height of the controversy a cartoonist depicted something coming out of a toilet with the caption “Truth arises from its well.”

We are now in the similar situation regarding the so-called murder of George Floyd. His death caused riots all over America, and the optics were absolutely horrible. Even those who usually support the police were appalled. To the left Floyd became a hero and a martyr, and their cries go out for the blood of his murderers. Now, however, it appears that there is another side to the story.

According to George Parry, former federal and state prosecutor and writer for The American Spectator, George Floyd was well on his way to dying from a self-administered drug overdose before his arrest. And Parry questions why would these police officers publicly, brazenly, and against their own self-interest slowly and sadistically kill Floyd in broad daylight before civilian witnesses with video cameras. Were they that stupid? Actually, there is evidence that these officers exhibited concern for Floyd’s condition and twice called for emergency medical services to render aid to him. That was strange behavior for supposedly brutal policemen allegedly intent on causing him harm.

Floyd repeatedly complained that he couldn’t breathe before the police restrained him on the ground. Floyd’s autopsy and toxicology reports indicate that his breathing difficulty was not by caused by the knee on his neck or pressure on his back but by the fact that he had in his bloodstream over three times the potentially lethal limit of fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous pain medication known to shut down the respiratory system and cause coma and death. He also had in his system a lesser dose of methamphetamine, which can cause paranoia, respiratory distress, coma, and death. Beyond those findings, his autopsy disclosed no physical injuries that could account for his demise.

Will these facts come out, or will it be another case of “the truth be damned?”