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Iowa police debunk false claim about children discovered in Coca-Cola truck | Fact check


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The claim: Iowa police found Coca-Cola truck 'filled with kids'

A Dec. 15 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a picture of a red Coca-Cola truck in a parking lot with a police car next to it.

"Omggg they just found a Coca Cola truck filled with kids on it (sic)," reads the post's caption. "This is from Davenport Iowa."

The post was shared more than 3,000 times in four days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook.

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Our rating: False

The Davenport Police Department said the claim is false. The image shows an annual toy drive hosted by the department's police association for children and families in need.

Image shows toy drive, not crime scene

The Davenport Police Department debunked the claim in a Dec. 18 Facebook post.

"Unfortunately, false information has been circulating on social media, claiming that a Coca-Cola truck was involved in trafficking or endangering children at this location," the post's caption reads above the viral picture of the truck. "This is completely untrue. The images and video being shared of the Coca-Cola truck and Davenport Police vehicles are actually from last weekend's toy drive event, supporting our local youth."

The Davenport Police Association held its 22nd annual toy drive on Dec. 14 and 15 to raise money and collect new toys for children and families involved with the nonprofit Family Resources, according to the post.

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The police association, police department and Family Resources shared numerous images from the toy drive on Facebook, including a picture of a police car and the Coca-Cola truck parked beside a sign that reads, "Make a donation and receive a complimentary Coca-Cola." Local news outlets, such as KWQC-6 and Our QC News, also reported on the event.

The police association's and department's Facebook pages include pictures from past years' toy drives as well.

Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

PolitiFact, Snopes, AFP, Lead Stories and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.

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