ATLANTA — It's common advice that "if you see something, say something," but sometimes that something isn't as nefarious as it initially seems.
That's essentially what happened to one man who went viral for documenting what he thought was human trafficking on Interstate 85 and notified police of the situation.
The Question
Does the TikTok video below show police stopping human trafficking in Atlanta?
Our Sources
The Answer
No, the videos of people in the back of a moving truck do not show human trafficking.
What we know
Gwinnett County Police have told us that they received several inquiries about social media videos of the truck. However, when they stopped the vehicle back on June 21, on I-85 near Sugarloaf Parkway, they said they found no one in danger.
In actuality, police said they found two families who were not tied up as stated in one of the videos and "appeared healthy and agreed to speak with the officers." The families told police they were simply traveling from Alabama to Maryland for a new job opportunity. Their personal belongings were also in the back of the truck.
Officers said they did end up citing the driver for having people riding in the back of the truck without a seatbelt. Police then took the family members to a local business and dropped them off so they could find another means of transportation.
At the end of their release, police specified again, "There is no evidence at this time of human trafficking."