Ten-year-old girl who watched Derek Chauvin kill George Floyd - and whose testimony means he may NEVER leave prison - reveals how 'proud she is' at testifying
The ten-year-old girl whose testimony at George Floyd's trial is being cited by prosecutors as a reason for why Chauvin should never leave prison said on Wednesday morning that she felt 'kinda proud' of her contribution to his conviction.
Jedeah Reynolds was nine last May when she walked to the Cup Foods store in Minneapolis with her older cousin Darnella Frazier to buy snacks. She had pestered her Darnella to go. When they were there, Floyd was arrested and killed by Chauvin. Darnella pulled out her phone to record it then gave the footage to police and prosecutors.
Jedeah was presented as a prosecution witness. She told the court that watching Chauvin crush Floyd's neck made her 'sad and kind of mad'.
Now, prosecutors are citing her as one of the reasons the judge should ignore sentencing guidelines and come down harder on Chauvin than the law requires.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter yesterday and is now in a maximum security prison awaiting sentencing. Minnesota State Law decrees that an offender will only be sentenced for the most serious offense if convicted of multiple felonies that stem from a single act.
In this case, the most serious offense is second degree murder, which carries a minimum of 12.5 years and a maximum of 40 years. Prosecutors have not been clear about how long they will ask the judge to put Chauvin away for but they have said they will ask him to consider aggravating factors like the trauma the killing forced on Jedeah.
On Wednesday, she appeared on Good Morning America with a chaperone to talk about the trial. Asked how she felt about the verdict, she answered shyly: 'Kinda proud'.
She also said she was watching the verdict come in from home, with her mother and father, who told her: 'We won' and 'this will bring change.'
Jedeah Reynolds was nine when she watched Floyd die in front of the Cup Foods store. She had gone with her cousin to get snacks. Her cousin filmed the killing and it was one of the videos that went viral and led to Chauvin's arrest. Jedeah later testified about it. On Wednesday said she felt 'kinda proud' that she had taken part
Jedeah is shown arriving at the Cup Foods store in Minneapolis, minutes before Floyd's death on May 25 last year. She had pestered her adult cousin to go to the store for snacks
She says she is now writing a children's book to 'teach people to be brave'. It will be called Judeah's Walk to the Store.
In interviews across the major TV networks on Wednesday morning, Floyd's brother Philonise said he always had faith in the jury but that he prayed for the 30 minutes between being told a verdict was coming and the jury re-entering the courtroom to read it.
Derek Chauvin in his booking photo taken on Wednesday. He is facing 40 years in prison
'I prayed for 30 minutes. It took 30 minutes before the jury and judge even stepped out. I always had faith but for me to just sit there and pray and I hear "guilty" then some more numbers then "guilty again".
'I said, "Lord, please let it be another" and I heard "guilty" again. I was excited. It was a pivotal moment for me, my family, the world,' he said.
He said he hoped the verdict was the 'beginning of this nation figuring out that we can all live with each other' and that he now hopes to push the George Floyd Policing Act through congress.
Vice President Kamala Harris put pressure on lawmakers to pass the bill on Tuesday night.
It would overhaul the country's policing rules by banning racial profiling, chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants.
It would also create a national registry for officers found guilty of misconduct and get rid of the legal protections they have now that are known as qualified immunity.
'You have so many people with blood on that bill [George Floyd policing act].
'Breonna Taylor, the no-knock warrant, she was killed - innocent, in her house.
'Eric Garner and my brother George - the no chokehold clause - that needs to be in effect.
'You have to have dash-cams and bodycams on all times. They're speaking everything into existence now,' he said.
Floyd's brother Philonise said on Wednesday he 'always had faith' the jury would do the right thing to achieve 'justice for George'
Charles McMillan was among the people who watched Floyd die under Chauvin's knee (left). He sobbed during the trial as he talked about how Floyd cried for his mother as he died
Charles McMillan, another trial witness who broke down in sobs as he testified about how Floyd cried out for his mother while he choked, was on CBS.
McMillan said on Wednesday (pictured) that he knew Floyd was going to die and he was trying to comfort him
He told Gayle King that he became so emotional while giving his testimony because he too had lost his mother.
He also recalled never leaving Floyd's side as he choked, and trying to de-escalate the situation by talking to the police officers involved.
McMillan also said he knew Floyd was going to die.
‘Once they’ve got the cuffs on you… you better have something good to say or nothing at all,' he said.
Chauvin is now being held in a maximum security prison on suicide watch.
As he was led away in cuffs from the courtroom, he flashed his palm which had his lawyer's phone number scribbled on it.
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