Chauvin Juror Defends Participation In Washington March
Brandon Mitchell spoke following online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury and whether it might be grounds for appeal.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) One of the jurors who convicted Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd on Monday defended his participation in a protest last summer in Washington, D.C., following online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury and whether it might be grounds for appeal.
A photo, posted on social media, shows Brandon Mitchell, who is Black, attending the Aug. 28 event to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington. Floyd’s brother and sister, Philonise and Bridgett Floyd, and relatives of others who have been shot by police addressed the crowd.
Daily Mail continues, noting that Mitchell is defending his omission:
Mitchell has admitted the photo is of him from that date, but defended attending the rally, claiming it was not explicitly a protest against police or a commemoration for George Floyd.
That is despite the fact that Floyd’s brother and sister, Philonise and Bridgett Floyd, and relatives of other African Americans who have been shot by police addressed the crowd that day.
Mitchell, 31, acknowledged being at the event and that his uncle posted the photo, but said he doesn’t recall wearing or owning the shirt.
Obviously, this could end up being a much bigger deal in Chauvin’s appeal:
Derek Chauvin s lawyer requests retrial after claiming former officer did not receive fair hearing
A photograph has surfaced of a juror in the case wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt at a protest last year
4 May 2021 • 9:38pm
Brandon Mitchell, a juror in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd, poses for a picture, in Minneapolis
Credit: AP
Derek Chauvin s lawyer has requested a new trial over the death of George Floyd, arguing the former officer was deprived of a fair trial.
Eric Nelson filed the motion on the grounds of prosecutorial and jury misconduct and the court s refusal to change the venue of the trial and sequester the jury amid intense public scrutiny.
Published May 4, 2021 Updated May 4, 2021, 1:15 pm CDT
A juror who helped convict former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd has stirred debate online after it was learned that he attended a protest in Washington, D.C. last year. Featured Video Hide
The juror, 31-year-old Brandon Mitchell, was seen in a picture on social media at an event last August that commemorated Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech from 1963. Relatives of those killed by police, including the brother and sister of Floyd, spoke at the event. Advertisement Hide
The photo shows Mitchell standing next to his two cousins while wearing a T-shirt featuring the face of King as well as the words “GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS” and “BLM.” Mitchell is also seen wearing a “Black Lives Matter” hat.