An alternate juror who was selected to the trial of Derek Chauvin publicly agreed with the verdict, stating that he had not taken the warnings of bystanders seriously.
Lisa Christensen, 45, appeared on CBS This Morning on Thursday to discuss Derek Chauvin’s trial and if she felt the verdict was justified.
“I kind of felt like he wasn’t taking the warnings seriously obviously, kind of like, ‘I know what I’m doing.’” Christensen said regarding how Chauvin acted during the arrest.
EXCLUSIVE: An alternate juror in the #DerekChauvinTrial sits down with @jamieyuccas.
Lisa Christensen did not have a role in the verdict, but she sat through every minute of the trial.
She says even though she wasn’t part of the deliberations — she came to a decision. pic.twitter.com/oREghd4OKm
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) April 22, 2021
Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty of second and third degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter on Tuesday for the death of George Floyd last May that sparked worldwide riots and protests.
“I felt he was guilty.” Christensen said when asked if she would have decided differently on the case. ““I didn’t know if it was going to be guilty on all counts, but I would have said guilty.” (RELATED: ‘My Brother Is Doing Time In The Ground’: George Floyd’s Brother Says All The Officers Involved Need To Be ‘Doing Time In A Cell’)
Christensen said that the prosecution had laid out a “really good [and] strong” argument during the trial, and that Doctor Martin Tobin’s testimony had sealed her decision.
Christensen also criticized defense attorney Eric Nelson, stating that he had “over-promised” on his expectations and did not “live up to what he said he was going to do.”
An alternate juror at the trial of Derek Chauvin said she agreed with the jury’s decision to convict him in George Floyd’s death. “I felt he was guilty,” Lisa Christensen said. https://t.co/5wLld0DC4e
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 22, 2021
Christensen had been dismissed after Monday’s closing arguments as an alternate juror and did not participate in the two-day long jury deliberations, the Independent reported.
The conviction of Chauvin was met with praise and celebration in Minneapolis. Many police chiefs across the country also agreed with the verdict of the trial.