As the Chauvin Trial Closes, Will Seeing Be Believing?

A case that began with video that shook the world ends with arguments over what story those images told.

After weeks of testimony and months of anguish, the arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin came down to: Should you believe your eyes? In a closing argument aired and streamed nationwide, the prosecutor Steve Schleicher hit many of the points you would expect in arguing to convict the police officer in the killing of George Floyd: the timeline, the expert testimony, the elements of the charges. But ultimately the part of star witness was played by the bystander video that detailed Mr. Floyd’s final minutes. In a way, the trial began as soon as the video emerged after Mr. Floyd’s death last May, beginning a summer of protest and leading to a national reckoning. If you haven’t seen it at this point, it has probably taken a concerted effort.