x
Breaking News
More () »

10-year-old witness to death of George Floyd recounts testifying in Derek Chauvin murder trial

Judeah Reynolds was just 9 years old when she watched as George Floyd died while in police custody outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis.

MINNEAPOLIS — A 10-year-old girl is among the long list of witnesses called by prosecutors in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. 

Those witnesses have shared their experiences of standing just feet away from George Floyd when he died. Now, there is a way for the community to support the young witness and her family. 

Just moments after Judeah Reynolds testified, she sat down with independent journalist Georgia Fort for a personal and candid interview about her day in court. Fort has deep ties to the St. Paul and Minneapolis community. She has formed a relationship with Reynolds' family over the past few months. 

Video of the Fort interview clearly shows the little girl trusts and feels comfortable talking to her. 

"Can you tell me what it was like to go to court today?" asked Fort.

"It was fun," Reynolds replied.

Reynolds is the youngest witness in Chauvin's trial for the death of George Floyd. 

"They asked me what happened the day George Floyd died and what they said then," said the girl.

LaToya Turk and Leigh Adams also played a role in connecting Reynolds with Fort. They are co-founders of Our Sister's Keeper Minneapolis, whose mission includes helping families like Judeah's. 

The Reynolds family reached out to the two women and their organization last year. The family needed help navigating through and around media inquiries from around the country and dealing with negative feedback in the community for their daughter's unintentional role in the Floyd case 

Our Sisters Keeper dedicated countless hours to the Reynolds family and were able to provide them with much-needed resources.    

"We felt comfortable with the things we put in place to make sure she felt safe and secure in the role she played during the trial," Turk said.

Last May, Judeah insisted on a trip to Cup Foods with her cousin, Darnella, for snacks, where she witnessed Floyd's death. She and Darnella, who videotaped the Floyd incident, had no idea that day would change their lives and so many others.

Ronnie and Diane Reynolds were already trying to make ends meet and doing whatever it took to stay together as a family before Floyd's death. Judeah's mother can tell it changed her daughter inside and out. 

"She is not the same," said Diane Reynolds. "There is something different about her. Her vision, her sight."

"I have stopped working and have turned down jobs for fear of what would happen to my daughter," said Ronnie Reynolds.

Life has been hard for Judeah's parents since then. They have been thrust into a spotlight that no family could plan for, in such a nationwide incident that would start a movement for diversity, inclusion, and justice. 

So Turk and Adams started a much-needed fundraiser for Judeah and her family. People have donated to the fund from all over the country, and they're hoping for even more support. Their goal is to raise enough money for the family to have ongoing mental health services for Judeah. They also want to be a blessing to the 10-year-old and her siblings to one day visit a theme park and just be able to take an unforgettable vacation together. 

"Judeah, she was definitely the catalyst in this phenomenal world change that is about to happen," Adams said.

While at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Reynolds said that what she really liked most was hearing herself on the speakers while testifying in court. But the world isn't finished hearing from the 10-year-old yet. She plans to write a book called, "My Walk To The Store."

Donations to the Support Judeah Fundraiser can be made through this link

You can see Judeah's interview with Georgia Fort here.

Before You Leave, Check This Out