Florida man is arrested for robbery using cough as a weapon.
The claim originated from a satirical image (archived here) published by Danking News on February 23, 2020, under the title "Corona virus: Florida man arrested for robbery using cough as a weapon." It opened:, BREAKING NEWS: "If you call the police I will cough"Corona virus: Florida man arrested for robbery using cough as a weapon, Users on social media saw this:, "If you call the police Ill cough. Florida man arrested for robbery using cough as a weapon. Attention for this gentleman #Coronavirius pic.twitter.com/crDW6NI1Ap", , The post on Danking News did not contain a written article. Instead, it showcased the fake "breaking news" image that appears like a local news screenshot - complete with a chyron, ticker, and breaking news branding., "Internet users can easily create images such as this using fake news generator sites. The Breaking News Generator site allows anyone to pick a headline, ticker text, and a customized image. Heres the description on the main page:", "Todays top story... you! Or, whatever you want. Add your pic, write the headline and well go live to the scene. Sort of.", The Instagram user @shanghaiobserved shared the image without the satire notation that was on the original site, and that post has generated thousands of likes and engagements. Some readers may have been duped into believing it was a true story, but the incident never happened., See who is sharing it (it might even be your friends...) and leave the link in the comments.:, Lead Stories is working with the CoronaVirusFacts/DatosCoronaVirus Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 fact-checkers who are fighting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the alliance here., "Ryan Cooper, a staff writer and fact-checker for Lead Stories, is the former Director of Programming at CNN International, where he helped shape the networks daily newscasts broadcast to more than 280 million households around the world. He was based at the networks Los Angeles Bureau. There, he managed the team responsible for a three-hour nightly program,\xa0Newsroom LA.", "Formerly, he worked at the headquarters in Atlanta, and he spent four years at the London bureau. An award-winning producer, Cooper oversaw the networks Emmy Award-winning coverage of the uprising in Egypt in 2011. He also served as a supervising producer during much of the networks live reporting on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006, for which CNN received an Edward R. Murrow Award.", Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, deceptive or\n      inaccurate stories (or media) making the rounds on the internet.\n      \n      Spotted something? Let us know!., Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, deceptive or\n        inaccurate stories (or media) making the rounds on the internet.\n        \n        Spotted something? Let us know!.
Fact Check: Florida Man NOT Arrested For Robbery Using Cough As A Weapon | Lead Stories