The teenager who recorded the fatal arrest of George Floyd has been recognized by the Pulitzer Prize board.
On May 25, 2020, then-17-year-old Darnella Frazier pulled out her cell phone to record the arrest of 46-year-old Floyd in Minneapolis.
Officers were responding to a call from a grocery store that accused Floyd of purchasing his items with a counterfeit $20 note. The arrest that ensued would go on to shock the world and spark protests across the US as people called for an end to racism and police brutality.
Per BBC News, Frazier was walking with her cousin when she came across former officers Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J Alexander Keung, and Tou Thao pinning Floyd to the ground.
Floyd died shortly after the arrest.
During the murder trial of Chauvin earlier this year, the now-18-year-old Frazier told the court why she recorded the incident: "I saw a man terrified, begging for his life."
She revealed that she could hear Floyd repeating "I can't breathe", and added: "He was terrified, he was calling for his mom."
On Friday, the Pulitzer Prize board awarded Frazier a citation for her courage. In a statement, the committee said that the teen was being honored for "courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice."
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter back in April.
During the trial, an emotional Frazier said: "When I look at George Floyd I look at my dad, I look at my brother, my cousins, my uncles - because they are all black. And I look at how that could have been one of them."
Per Forbes, Frazier was also praised by President Joe Biden back in April, who described the teenager as a "brave young woman".
Additionally, Oprah Winfrey stated that she was "grateful for Darnella Frazier," and actress Kerry Washington described the teen as a "hero."
"Her bravery in that moment must never be forgotten," Washington added in a tweet.
.jpg_azx6mQ?tr=h-40)
.jpg_azx6mQ?tr=h-184)
