Chauvin juror: ‘It felt like every day was a funeral’

A juror who took part in the trial of Derek Chauvin has said that he is still mentally recovering after repeatedly viewing images and videos of Floyd’s death during the trial.

Speaking with CNN in an interview that was published Wednesday, Brandon Mitchell said that the proceedings were like a “funeral,” adding that he felt like he was “watching someone die every day.”

“It was just dark. It felt like every day was a funeral and watching someone die every day,” Mitchell said in the interview. “It was tense every day. I wasn’t nervous, but it was stressful. It was a lot of pressure.”

He added that much of the 11 hours the jury spent reaching a verdict were used to convince one holdout member of the jury of the former officer’s guilt. Chauvin’s trial ended last week in a conviction on three counts, including the most serious: second-degree murder.

“I felt like it should have been 20 minutes,” Mitchell said of the deliberations.

Mitchell added that Martin Tobin, a pulmonary expert and witness called by the prosecution to testify about the last moments of Floyd’s life, was the most convincing part of the prosecution’s argument.

“Once Dr. Tobin was finished with his testimony, I felt like the trial was done. He spoke everything in laymen’s terms, and it made sense,” he said.

Mitchell became the first juror who took part in Floyd’s trial to speak out about his experiences this week — the judge ordered their identities be sealed for at least six months, due to threats of violence against them following Chauvin’s conviction.

Chauvin’s trial spurred nationwide interest following video of Floyd’s death going viral and sparking coast-to-coast demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against racism last year.

His trial in Minneapolis also came as the city and surrounding community grappled with the death of another Black man, Daunte Wright, who was killed by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn., earlier this month.