By Emma Harville
A 2017 Bethel University graduate identified as Daniel Michelson defaced the George Floyd mural on the side of Cup Foods in South Minneapolis with spray paint Tuesday night.
Michelson, a 26-year-old Rochester medical student who majored in biochemistry at Bethel, was chased away by a volunteer security guard when witnesses saw him spray painting over Floyd’s eyes with black paint, according to a Minnesota Reformer story.
After losing his footing a few blocks away from the autonomous zone at 38th and Chicago, the site of Floyd’s murder, Michelson was caught by another volunteer guard who asked him who he was and why he did it. Police were not called, as is now custom for such incidents that happen in the eight-block area surrounding the George Floyd memorial.
A witness said Michelson then smiled for a photo, which was later posted on social media and helped the public identify him.
@MNUnitedAF Anyone recognize those jackhole? He came to 38th and Chicago and defaced the mural@of George Floyd. We ran him out of his flipflops but he smiled for this pic. Whose fan is this? #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/qQtaajmdjQ
— marciahoward38thstreet (@marciaxthree) August 19, 2020
Michelson told the Minnesota Reformer he had gotten drunk alone in his apartment, five miles away, and has no memory of spray painting the mural, although he remembers running home.
He has agreed to pay for repairs to the mural and says he wants to work on reconciliation with the 38th and Chicago community.
The Clarion was unable to reach Michelson for further comment.
Just two weeks prior, Bethel faced criticism from alumni and community members on social media following its announcement of a George Floyd Memorial scholarship. Commenters shared concerns about Floyd’s criminal history and debated whether Floyd should be honored with a scholarship in his name.
Bethel’s new president, Ross Allen, has since announced a commitment to “make meaningful improvements” with racial reconciliation at Bethel in the coming year.
In a university-wide email sent out Thursday evening, Allen wrote, “My heart ached as I read about another act of violence and hatred toward the Black community… This vandalism, along with any instance of racism or discrimination, has no place in our community.”
Allen concluded his statement with an announcement of the Bethel University Institutional Action Plan for Diversity and Racial Healing, which he wrote will be shared with the community “in the near future.”
great job. GF died of a overdose of drugs…in his system. the BLM is using him and his family for their movement. they are not to be trusted and need to disappear. Here’s a look at George Floyd’s second autopsy.
The existing autopsy also reported that Floyd had heavy amounts of caffeine, THC and cotinine (from nicotine) in his system. Even medical non-experts know that people with chronic heart disease shouldn’t be smoking weed and cigarettes while drinking lots of coffee. In fact, that can literally kill a person with severe arteriosclerotic heart disease. Someone should tell Michael Baden!
But on top of weed, cigarettes and coffee, George Floyd’s toxicology report shows that he had 11 milligrams of fentanyl in his system, 5.6 milligrams of Norfentanyl and 19 milligrams of methamphetamine. For reference, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl are a fatal dose for an average-sized healthy person. George Floyd had ingested 8 times the lethal amount of fentanyl and Norfentanyl, plus a bunch of meth – while suffering from chronic artery disease.
Not only that, but the official M.E. did a sickle cell test on George Floyd, a test that is always performed on African Americans suspects who die in police custody. It provides a wealth of information, which I’ll go ahead and paraphrase for you: George Floyd was dying before the police ever placed him on the ground.
There’s also a host of scientific research to support the fact that applying a knee to the back of a suspect’s neck, as shown in the George Floyd video, does not kill people. The angle of the pressure prevents a suspect from choking to death and in no way restricts blood flow to the brain. Go ahead and check yourself: You don’t have arteries in the back of your neck. The angle prevents choking, and the amount of pressure is not sufficient to restrict blood flow.
According to Baden’s expertise, the fact that a middle-aged man with a history of hypertension and clogged arteries took a massive dose of fentanyl (again – 8 times the fatal amount), methamphetamine, weed, coffee and cigarettes, had nothing to do with the guy’s death. The knee on the neck was the only thing that possibly could have killed George Floyd, according to Baden.
If Michael Baden really performed an autopsy on George Floyd, he needs to put up or shut up. It looks like he simply gave an “expert medical opinion” on Floyd after watching the same video that the rest of us saw.
Here’s a look at George Floyd’s second autopsy.
The existing autopsy also reported that Floyd had heavy amounts of caffeine, THC and cotinine (from nicotine) in his system. Even medical non-experts know that people with chronic heart disease shouldn’t be smoking weed and cigarettes while drinking lots of coffee. In fact, that can literally kill a person with severe arteriosclerotic heart disease. Someone should tell Michael Baden!
But on top of weed, cigarettes and coffee, George Floyd’s toxicology report shows that he had 11 milligrams of fentanyl in his system, 5.6 milligrams of Norfentanyl and 19 milligrams of methamphetamine. For reference, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl are a fatal dose for an average-sized healthy person. George Floyd had ingested 8 times the lethal amount of fentanyl and Norfentanyl, plus a bunch of meth – while suffering from chronic artery disease.
Not only that, but the official M.E. did a sickle cell test on George Floyd, a test that is always performed on African Americans suspects who die in police custody. It provides a wealth of information, which I’ll go ahead and paraphrase for you: George Floyd was dying before the police ever placed him on the ground.
There’s also a host of scientific research to support the fact that applying a knee to the back of a suspect’s neck, as shown in the George Floyd video, does not kill people. The angle of the pressure prevents a suspect from choking to death and in no way restricts blood flow to the brain. Go ahead and check yourself: You don’t have arteries in the back of your neck. The angle prevents choking, and the amount of pressure is not sufficient to restrict blood flow.
According to Baden’s expertise, the fact that a middle-aged man with a history of hypertension and clogged arteries took a massive dose of fentanyl (again – 8 times the fatal amount), methamphetamine, weed, coffee and cigarettes, had nothing to do with the guy’s death. The knee on the neck was the only thing that possibly could have killed George Floyd, according to Baden.
If Michael Baden really performed an autopsy on George Floyd, he needs to put up or shut up. It looks like he simply gave an “expert medical opinion” on Floyd after watching the same video that the rest of us saw.
Thank you for your coverage Emma. I’m hoping to see a statement from Bethel very soon.