JHA Statement on the Derek Chauvin Verdict

When an officer’s behavior is observable, their actions cannot be denied.

As I listened to the news focused on the results of the Derek Chauvin trial and the many responses of relief being articulated in response to the verdict, one point came up with consistency: the impact of the videos taken by people who saw what Officer Chauvin did. Following the verdict, I heard several civil rights leaders and criminal defense attorneys take to social media, radio, and television to articulate the same basic premise: what is different about the Chauvin case is that people saw what happened and had the courage to capture it on video to create evidence. We cannot deny what we see for ourselves.