Six months after a jury convicted Derek Chauvin of killing George Floyd, they’re speaking out on what went on inside the deliberation room.In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, seven of the jurors spoke up about the traumatic experience of the trial, and the moments that, for them were indications of Chauvin’s guilt.”Watching George Floyd call for his mom just broke my heart. Me being a mom, a Black mom, a Black grandmother. We call out for our mom when we’re hurting, when we’re in pain, and when we’re in need… And unfortunately his mom could not come to his rescue. In fact, no one came to his rescue. It’s heartbreaking,” Sherri Belton Hardeman said of the video played in court.”It is definitely in my spirit and it will always be there,” Hardeman added.
In terms of why they handed down the guilty verdict, one juror pointed to an argument long made by advocates and Floyd’s family:
“This is not what he did but more or less what he didn’t do,” Jodi Doud said. “He did not provide life saving measures for George Floyd when he knew that the guy was in pain or needed medical attention.”
“He had ample [chances] to roll him over and start CPR and he didn’t. He didn’t move one bit. And even when the EMS came up and checked [Floyd] he never even got up… He had to have the EMS tap him to get up. That to me said more than what he actually did.”
The jurors said their verdict was the result of the evidence presented at the trial, not their views on race and that they understood the weight of their positions.”I absolutely wanted to make sure that everybody was on the same page,” Belton Hardeman said. “I wanted to make sure that we were doing due diligence and that we actually understood what our task was. There was no room for error at all.”They deliberated over the course of 10 hours, reviewing the more than three-and-a-half weeks of testimony and arguments.It was Doud’s point about Chauvin’s failure to provide medical attention that “set off lightbulbs” for jurors who were undecided. They asked how many times Floyd’s pulse was checked and what was said between officers before realizing that Chauvin intended act of harm by not providing medical attention.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and half years in prison, and is awaiting federal civil rights violation trial along with the three other officers involved in the fatal arrest.
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
For more mental health resources, click HERE.
Photo: Getty Images
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