TOLEDO, Ohio — A mural in Toledo honoring George Floyd, who was murdered by former police officer Derek Chauvin, has been reduced to rubble after witnesses said a lightning strike took down a brick wall on Tuesday, according to Toledo-ABC affiliate WTVG.
According to the Toledo Police Department, witnesses said a lightning strike caused the wall to collapse. WTVG said its Doppler Radar showed a lightning strike in that block at around 4:30 p.m Tuesday.
Read the full story by WTVG here.
However, there are conflicting reports about what may have caused the collapse.
The George Floyd Memorial mural at Summit and Lagrange in Toledo has come down. No word yet on the circumstances #13abc pic.twitter.com/SkB2eDhijB
— Shaun Hegarty (@Shaun_Hegarty) July 13, 2021
WTVG said Hugh Koogan, a city building inspector, told the Toledo Blade that the wall collapse was a result of natural deterioration after he noticed the wall had started to buckle.
“It was just age. It just came away,” the inspector told the Blade.
The mural was painted almost one year to the date of its ruin in July 2020. Groups have held memorial services for Floyd there, including on the one-year anniversary of his death at the hands of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted last month of murder and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison.
The City of Toledo said it will work with the arts commission on planning for a new mural or help the communion and artist find a new location for it.
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