A young girl who watched as Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck during his fatal arrest says she's "proud" of the guilty verdict.
Judeah Reynolds was just nine years old when she and a cousin saw the tragic events unfold on May 25, 2020. She was one of the many witnesses called on to testify during the three-week trial.
And on April 20, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter as part of a unanimous verdict.
The day after the world watched the jury convict the former police officer, Judeah admitted in an interview on Good Morning America that hearing the verdict being announced made her feel "kind of proud".
The youngster shared that her "mom said that we brought change. My dad said we won".
Watch the interview:Judeah's testimony was ultimately used by prosecutor Jerry Blackwell during closing arguments.
Blackwell said, per the Independent: "Ultimately, it really isn’t that complicated. And what it is you have to decide is so simple that a child could understand it.
"In fact, a child did understand it when the 9-year-old girl said, ‘Get off of him’. That’s how simple it was. ‘Get off of him’. Common sense."
On May 25, 2020, the then-nine-year-old was out buying snacks with her cousin when they both witnessed Floyd's fatal arrest.
Naturally, the distressing event stayed with Judeah throughout the last year and she is now in the middle of writing a book about it called Judeah’s Walk To The Store. She told GMA that she hopes it will "teach people to be brave and bring change into their story".
In related news, the US Justice Department has now announced that it will be launching an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.
On April 21, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the civil investigation will "determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional, unlawful policing".
Mr. Garland said Chauvin's conviction does not address "potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis."
He went on: "I know such wounds have deep roots. And that too many communities have experienced those wounds, firsthand. Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address, potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis.
"The challenges we face are deeply woven into our history. They did not arise today, or last year, building trust between community and law enforcement will take time and effort by all of us.
"But we undertake this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait."