Teen who took viral Floyd video cries at trial
Teen who took viral Floyd video cries at trial
The Minneapolis teenager whose cellphone video of Derek Chauvin's deadly arrest of George Floyd sparked worldwide protests wept on the witness stand as she described what she saw that day during Day 2 of the former policeman's murder trial.
Lisa Bernhard has more.
Teen who took viral Floyd video cries at trial
PROSECUTOR: "Would you tell the ladies and gentlemen how your viewing, experiencing what happened to George Floyd has affected your life?" Day two of the murder trial of ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin brought emotional testimony from at least two eyewitnesses to Chauvin's deadly arrest of George Floyd last May.
Daniella Frazier, the teenage girl whose cellphone video of the incident was seen around the world, cried when recalling that day - her face kept off camera due to her young age.
"When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, I look at my uncles, because they are all Black.
And I look at how that could have been one of them.
It's been nights I've stayed up apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more.
And not physically interacting and not saving his life - it's not what I should have done.
It's what he should have done." With that, she turned to Chauvin, whose lawyers began to object to her response.
Frazier was walking her 9-year-old cousin to buy snacks at a small grocery - where moments earlier a worker had accused Floyd of using a fake $20 bill - when she said she saw Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck.
"I heard George Floyd saying, 'I can't breathe, please, get off of me, I can't breathe.'
He cried for his mom, he was in pain.
He seemed like he knew it was over for him." Another witness, professional mixed martial arts fighter Donald Williams - who can be heard on Frazier's video hurling insults at police as he demanded they check Floyd's pulse - described on the stand why he called 911 after Floyd's arrest.
PROSECUTOR: "Did you make a 911 call?" WILLIAMS: "That is correct.
I did call the police on the police." PROSECUTOR: "And why did you do that?
WILLIAMS: "Because I believed I witnessed a murder." He then dabbed his eyes with a tissue as a recording of that call was played back in the courtroom.
Chauvin's lawyers have sought to convince the jury that Chauvin may have felt threatened by bystanders.
They say he followed his police training and is not guilty of the charges brought by the Minnesota attorney general's office of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter.