As some have taken the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death this weekend to honor him, it’s worth recalling how a mural dedicated to him was struck by lightning just a year after its creation.
It is, of course, tragic when anyone loses their way in life, becoming addicted to drugs and in trouble with the law, as was the case with Floyd.
Though Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin was convicted of murder in 2021 in the death of Floyd, who was in his custody, an autopsy revealed that there was both fentanyl and methamphetamine in the man’s system, which may have been contributing factors to his death.
Your reminder that George Floyd died of a drug overdose pic.twitter.com/5pdAaQltaS
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 25, 2025
Floyd would not comply with police orders to stay in the squad car, prompting Chauvin to eventually get on top of him and put a knee on his neck.
Video shown during the Chauvin trial showed Floyd appearing to experience a panic attack, perhaps caused or exacerbated by the drugs in his system. He was calling out that he could not breathe before Chauvin ever sought to subdue him on the ground.
George Floyd would still be alive if he had only complied with police direction. Body cam footage clearly showed defiance by Floyd, and even when he was finally wrangled into the police car he escaped on the other side. Had he sat in the car, he would still be alive. TRUTH. pic.twitter.com/wB3fd4B1ZV
— Booker (@RealBookerScott) May 25, 2024
Was Chauvin wrongly convicted of George Floyd’s death?
Regardless, the most enduring image was of Chauvin on top of Floyd, with many concluding he was solely responsible for Floyd’s death.
Protests and riots erupted around the country, starting in May 2020. Communities built statues in Floyd’s honor. The square where the incident took place in Minneapolis was named after him. The Black Lives Matter movement was elevated to new heights.
700-pound statue of George Floyd unveiled in Newark NJ.
Celebration of propaganda and complete degradation of our culture. pic.twitter.com/xFlWZYZUVq
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) June 18, 2021
And in Toledo, Ohio, a mural honoring Floyd was painted in the summer of 2020.
When God struck the George Floyd mural with lightning in Toledo, that’s all you needed to know. pic.twitter.com/lyxpOhD0FF
— SCAREY (@SCmusic82) May 16, 2022
But in July 2021, lightning struck the building, reducing the mural to rubble.
“A witness who saw the wall fall told [Toledo Fire and Rescue] they had seen a lightning bolt strike the building. The department later confirmed the strike to be the cause of the collapse,” local CBS affiliation WTOL-TV reported.
Remember when a mural depicting George Floyd as a saint and hero collapsed after being struck by lightning in Toledo Ohio? Now that’s a statement. pic.twitter.com/UC0ItAjvue
— Freyja™ (@FreyjaTarte) May 25, 2024
It feels like a fitting end to an artwork meant to lionize someone with a long criminal record — including felony assault and robbery — who did not deserve it.
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