Florida doctor accused of fatally removing wrong organ from patient arrested while driving for Lyft: ‘From now on, we’re using Uber’

Nypost · Apr 26, 2026 · 580 words · By Caitlin McCormack

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Florida doctor accused of fatally removing wrong organ from patient arrested while driving for Lyft: ‘From now on, we’re using Uber’ A Florida doctor accused of fatally removing the wrong organ from a patient was recently arrested while working a shift for…

Claims checked 17

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was cuffed April 13 in Miramar Beach, Fla., on charges of second-degree manslaughter while carting around two customers in his silver Mitsubishi.

Common ground

An officer with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office hauled Shaknovksy out of his car and handcuffed him while pressing the suspect against the back driver’s side window, where one of his stunned passengers was sitting, according to police body-camera footage…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Medical Malpractice and Accountability story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was cuffed April 13 in Miramar Beach, Fla., on charges of second-degree manslaughter while carting around two customers in his silver Mitsubishi?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/26/us-news/wrong-organ-doctor-arrested-while-driving-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 60% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 4

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was cuffed April 13 in Miramar Beach, Fla., on charges of second-degree manslaughter while carting around two customers in his silver Mitsubishi.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Thomas Shaknovsky was arrested on charges of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the wrong organ removal incident.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A Northeast Florida physician accused of mistakenly removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen during a 2024 surgery was arrested Monday on a second-degree manslaughter charge. A grand jury indi…
https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2026-04-15/northeast-flori…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to the State Attorney's Office, Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was charged with second-degree manslaughter following an extensive investigation conducted by sheriff's deputies, investigators ...
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/walton-county/wa…

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Claim 2: “He did not call for assistance when he removed Bryan’s 4.6-pound liver — which he identified as a spleen, officials said.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “Shaknovksy is scheduled to be arraigned May 19 in Bryan’s death.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Shaknovksy had been driving with the ride-sharing service for more than a year and maintained a five-star rating before his bust, according to a screenshot of his profile shared with the outlet.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results corroborate that Shaknovsky had been driving for the ride-sharing service for over a year and maintained a high rating before his arrest.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shaknovksy had been driving with the ride-sharing service for more than a year and maintained a five-star rating before his bust, according to a screenshot of his profile shared with the outlet.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/26/us-news/wrong-organ-doctor-arr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shaknovsky had been driving for the ride-sharing service for more than a year, with a five-star rating for over 3,000 rides, according to a screenshot of his Lyft profile that one of the women ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-surgeon-accused…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A surgeon from Florida has been charged for manslaughter after removing a patient's liver rather than his spleen, causing him to die on the operating table.
https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/florida-surgeon-turned…

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Claim 5: “Shaknovksy had first allegedly pressured Bryan into the surgery despite the older man voicing his wish to return to his home in Muscle Shoals, Ala.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results mention that Bryan was reluctant or that Shaknovsky allegedly pressured him regarding the surgery, despite Bryan wanting to return home.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2020 census, Muscle …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_Shoals,_Alabama

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bryan went into cardiac arrest during the procedure as medical staff attempted to respond to the emergency. According to witness accounts cited in the suspension order, Shaknovksy continued operating …
https://www.lifezette.com/2026/04/doctor-charged-after-fatal…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — However, following the death of William Bryan — who died after Shaknovsky allegedly mistakenly removed the man’s liver instead of his spleen during emergency surgery in August — he is now barred from …
https://thedailycrime.org/2024/11/26/surgeon-killed-patient-…

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Claim 6: “Shaknovksy insisted Bryan died of a splenic artery aneurysm, but his death was later ruled a homicide from “liver removed during splenectomy,” according to the family’s lawyer.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 7: “His medical license was swiftly revoked in the wake of the fatal mishap.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions that 'State records show Shaknovsky’s Florida medical license was suspended about a month later' (which is part of the evidence for claim 5). However, this claim stands alone, and no other evidence sources were provided to corroborate the revocation itself, leading to a single-source assessment based on the available evidence pool.

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Claim 8: “The son of Dorothy Dorsett, 70, alleged that Shaknovksy failed to prevent her fatal sepsis after removing a mass from her during surgery, the lawsuit claimed.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “A rep for Lyft told the outlet that Shaknovksy was “removed” from the platform once the company was made aware of his arrest.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that a Lyft representative stated Shaknovsky was removed from the platform after the company was made aware of his arrest.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was arrested while driving for Lyft on April 13.A rep for Lyft told the outlet that Shaknovksy was “removed” from the platform once the company was made aware of his arrest.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/26/us-news/wrong-organ-doctor-arr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arresting officers had descended on a Lyft vehicle containing passengers, that was being driven by Shaknovsky. He had been working as a driver for Lyft for over a year at that point. Article continues…
https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/florida-surgeon-turned…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The profile used his middle name, Jacob. A spokesperson for Lyft said in a statement that the company was willing to support law enforcement in its investigation. "As soon as we became aware of the dr…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-surgeon-accused…

info

Claim 10: “Bryan eventually gave in to Shaknovsky’s advice and agreed to have his spleen removed, according to an emergency suspension order viewed by The Post.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim references an 'emergency suspension order viewed by The Post,' which is cited as the source for this specific detail. No other independent sources were provided to corroborate the content of this order.

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Claim 11: “Shaknovksy already had a medical negligence lawsuit pending against him when Bryan’s widow sued him.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “Shaknovksy faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of removing 70-year-old William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 laparoscopic splenectomy, causing the Alabama man to bleed to death on the operating table, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results corroborate the core details: Shaknovsky faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly removing William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 splenectomy, leading to death.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) is a law enforcement agency serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. The MDSO is the largest sheriff’s office in the southeastern United States and operates out of ei…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-Dade_Sheriff's_Office

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Okaloosa County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okaloosa_County,_Florida

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Walton County is a county located on the Emerald Coast in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida, with its southern border on the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton_County,_Florida

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 13: “An officer with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office hauled Shaknovksy out of his car and handcuffed him while pressing the suspect against the back driver’s side window, where one of his stunned passengers was sitting, according to police body-camera footage obtained by NBC News.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific details regarding the officer handcuffing Shaknovsky while pressing him against a passenger in the back driver's side window are reported in the web search results, but the evidence provided for this claim included Wikipedia entries about unrelated topics (India Walton, Okaloosa County, Travis Walton) and only one web search result detailing the incident. Since the other sources provided were irrelevant, and the core detail is only strongly supported by one web search result, it is marked as single_source.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — India B. Walton (née Suttles; born June 14, 1982) is an American political activist and nurse. In 2021, she defeated incumbent Byron Brown in the Democratic Party primary for mayor of Buffalo, New Yor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Walton

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Travis Walton incident was an alleged alien abduction of American forestry worker Travis Walton on November 5, 1975, in the Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests near Heber, Arizona. Walton reportedl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Walton_incident

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 14: “Then he snipped and stapled clumps of vessels around the liver, which triggered a severe hemorrhage and sent Bryan into cardiac arrest, authorities said.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 15: “He allegedly converted the operation into a riskier open procedure, citing poor visibility in Bryan’s colon and abdomen.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered from the web search or Wikipedia results that specifically mentions Shaknovsky converting the operation to a riskier open procedure due to poor visibility in Bryan’s colon and abdomen. While the overall context of the surgery is covered, this specific procedural detail is absent from the provided evidence.

info

Claim 16: “A Florida doctor accused of fatally removing the wrong organ from a patient was recently arrested while working a shift for Lyft”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim was 'No evidence found after searching,' meaning no external sources were gathered to confirm or deny the claim. Therefore, it cannot be corroborated, but it is not marked as 'insufficient_evidence' because the lack of evidence is noted, not the claim itself.

schedule

Claim 17: “An adult male’s spleen typically weighs between 75 and 120 grams, or at most about a quarter of a pound, according to the National Library of Medicine.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.