Soon after Alex Chow Tsz-Lok fell off the edge of a parking garage in Hong Kong, the allegations began spreading online.

Posts circulating in chat groups and on social media claimed the 22-year-old student was chased — and maybe even pushed — by police who were clearing protesters with tear gas nearby. Officers blocked an ambulance from reaching him, the posts alleged, delaying aid that could have saved his life.

Never mind that the claims were unsubstantiated, that police denied chasing Chow and that mainstream news outlets, including the South China Morning Post, described the circumstances of his fall as unclear. Hundreds of protesters seized on his Nov. 8 death to engage in clashes with police that resulted in one person being shot on Monday.