After it was announced that Derrick Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges, countless Americans rushed to social media to express their relief. This included praising those whom many believe led to this verdict, including Darnella Frazier.

Last Memorial Day, Frazier had been taking her cousin to Cup Foods when she saw George Floyd pinned on the ground. After sending her cousin inside the store, she pulled out her phone and began recording the interaction between George Floyd and Derrick Chauvin. This video, now seen by millions, was used as evidence in the trial and directly disputed the original police statement which declared, “man dies after medical incident during police interaction.” 

Darnella’s role in this encounter has earned her the respect of many including famous individuals such as President Biden, Michael Moore, Meryl Streep, and Ann Marie Lipinski. Angela Harrison, George Floyd’s aunt, commended Darnella’s bravery expressing that, “The sad thing is if it hadn’t been for that 17-year-old girl Darnella, it would have been another Black man, that was killed by the police, his own fault, and they would have said, ‘Oh, it was drugs, oh it was this.’ And we would never have had the story we would have and wouldn’t be here today talking.”

Many have also noted the rarity of this verdict as police officers are seldom convicted of on-duty killings. In fact, Chauvin was only the second police officer convicted in Minnesota’s history. In a statement from President Biden, he reminded Americans that the verdict was a result of a “unique and extraordinary convergence of factors [including] a brave young woman with a smartphone camera.” Furthering this point, Mica Cole Kaminski, one of the organizers of a fundraiser to honor Darnella said, “Because of Darnella Frazier, we saw a glimpse of accountability today.”