Throughout the Derek Chauvin trial, witnesses have taken to the stand to describe what they saw the night of George Floyd’s death. In a Star Tribune article titled, “
Derek Chauvin trial shows people who film police violence later struggle with trauma,”
Pat Frazier, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, states that the experiences described in court are consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Being on the scene of a death, it is not surprising that witnesses can experience trauma symptoms, such as nightmares. Some individuals also experience “moral injury” which involves feelings of guilt and regret when individuals witness or feel that they failed to prevent an event that violated their moral code.
Composed by Flora Pollack, communications assistant.
