Witness says George Floyd’s death changed her life

An eyewitness testifying Tuesday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, told the court that Floyd’s death changed her life.

Darnella Frazier, 18, was the second witness of the day in Chauvin’s trial. She was a minor when the fatal incident occurred, and her face was not shown in the livestream of the proceedings.

Frazier captured the viral graphic footage of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes with her cellphone on May 25.

When asked by Chauvin’s defense attorney Eric Nelson if the events on May 25 changed her life, Frazier responded: “It has.”

Frazier appeared emotional throughout her testimony, holding back tears several times while answering questions. She said that when she remembers Floyd, she thinks about members of her own family. 

“When I look at George Floyd I look at, look at my dad. I look at my brothers, cousins, uncles, because they are all Black. I have a Black father, I have a Black brother, I have Black friends. And I look at that and I look at how that could have been one of them,” Frazier told the court. 

“It’s been nights I stayed up apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life but it’s not what I should have done, is what he should have done,” Frazier continued, referring to Chauvin.

Frazier was the first of four witnesses that the prosecution intends to call to the stand who will have their faces omitted from the trial’s live stream because of their age. 

Frazier’s 9-year-old cousin, who was with her the night of Floyd’s death, testified after her. Her cousin was the last witness called before the court adjourned for lunch.