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The false Dylan Roof Burger King claim is trending again today, being used in comparison to another death row inmate who was executed. Here’s the background on that, as the comparison makes no sense.
Dylann Roof was never taken to a Burger King by police. He was brought BK after his arrest. If this seems like a distinction without a difference it’s not, once you understand the timeline and context. https://www.shelbystar.com/20150618/timeline-of-charleston-shooting-dylann-roofs-capture/306189893
Roof slaughtered 9 people at a Charleston, SC church at around 9 pm. He wasn’t captured until the following morning at 10:50 am, in Shelby, NC a small town 245 miles away. During the arrest, officers surrounded his vehicle with guns drawn. https://news.yahoo.com/dylann-roofs-arrest-how-smalltown-police-foiled-the-accused-charleston-killers-getaway-115653519.html
They were tense, knowing he was armed and might not have anything to lose, but Roof was eerily calm and quiet during the encounter and was apprehended without incident. Afterwards, he was taken to Shelby police station.
Keep in mind, this was already an international story, reporters & gawkers began to fill the parking lot. The small town police department’s job, at this point, was to keep Roof safe until the FBI & state investigators arrived, amid what the police chief called “organized chaos.”
Part of this was getting him food, since he reportedly “hadn’t eaten in a couple of days.” According to reports, an officer went out and bought a hamburger for him. Considering the chaos, they were unequipped to feed him otherwise and chose a quick and easy option.
Just hrs later he was moved to Cleveland County Courthouse & then flown to Charleston later that evening. One might scoff at feeding an accused mass murderer, but no matter how heinous the crime, a detainee has rights that must be honored, else it could jeopardize the prosecution
One of these rights is to be treated humanely, which includes being offered food and water. If these rights are denied during questioning or while in a holding cell, the resulting confession or interrogation could be thrown out in court. https://www.swilliams-law.net/blog/what-is-the-miranda-rule-in-sc.aspx
Given the high profile nature of this case, the small town police chief was understandably focused on not screwing anything up.
The comparison here makes no sense as Roof was also given the death sentence. In fact, he was the first person to be ordered executed for a federal hate crime. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/charleston-church-shooting/dylann-roof-sentenced-death-charleston-church-massacre-n705376
