Fact check: Viral video of FBI agent getting arrested false

The caption on a viral video of a black man getting arrested then released after Minnesota police "found out he's an FBI agent" has been deemed false. Photo / Twitter

The caption on a viral video of a black man getting arrested during protests then released after Minnesota police "found out he's an FBI agent" has been deemed false.

Racial inequality protests have been widespread after the death of an unarmed black man named George Floyd — and while many genuine videos of these protests have been shared, a number have been miscaptioned.

One includes a video that has been miscaptioned on social media many times as "The moment when they realised they just attempted to arrest an FBI agent ... ".

The moment when they realised they just attempted to arrest an FBI agent... 🙂 pic.twitter.com/fuGla4f0IA

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Footage shows two white police officers questioning a black man in a red t-shirt, believing that he is the man they are looking for.

The man says to police "you're assuming I'm someone I'm not" and claims that officers are racially profiling him in a case of mistaken identity.

The officers then handcuff him and look at his ID from his wallet before releasing him shortly after.

"You have the wrong person," people can be heard saying.

However, Rochester police have confirmed that the man is not an FBI agent and that the video dates back a year ago.

A Rochester police spokesperson said the incident occurred on June 1, 2019 at a downtown bar and entertainment area.

"The officers believed they recognised a person known to have an arrest warrant for assault. The individual was roughly the same height, weight and age of the individual the officer believed to have a warrant. Officers approached the male and asked him his name. The individual was not co-operative in identifying himself to officers," they said.

"The officers determined they had reasonable suspicion to detain the individual and determine his identity. During the brief detention, identification was located showing he was not the individual the officers knew had a warrant. The individual was immediately released. Contrary to social media rumours, the individual was not a Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI] agent."

Rochester police confirmed that the man asked to speak with a supervisor and one arrived to talk to him. The person also asked for the officers' business cards, which they provided.

The police supervisor at the scene notified the professional standards manager of this interaction.

"Although we do not always get things right," says Rochester Police Chief Jim Franklin, "the Rochester Police department is an agency dedicated to continuous improvement and providing the highest level of public service to this first-class city we serve."

The caption on a viral video of a black man getting arrested then released after Minnesota police "found out he's an FBI agent" has been deemed false. Photo / Twitter

The video was originally posted on Instagram by @thisisnike1 on May 31, but has since been removed.

Its timing coincided with the Floyd protests, but the original post included a caption explaining that the incident had been filmed "over a year" ago and that it involved the Rochester Minnesota Police Department.

Soon after, the video was posted and recaptioned with the claim that it showed the attempted arrest of an FBI agent.

It's unclear where the rumour originated.