Timpa's death came to prominence in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, who died in a similar way. When Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd, a number of commentators drew comparisons between Floyd and Timpa. Ryan Mills, writing in the National Review, claimed that, "There was no national uproar after Timpa's death. No national cries for justice and reform. The city of Dallas paid no settlement to Timpa's family." National Review said "there was more community pressure" in the Floyd case.
