Philadelphia business owners breathe sigh of relief after Chauvin guilty verdict

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Cheers reverberated throughout Center City Philadelphia immediately after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges on Tuesday.

"To see him getting charged like that, I was greatly relieved. He's getting served his justice," said Steven Williams of North Philadelphia.

"I think this is what needs to happen in order for there to be police reform," said Sarah Hahn of Fairmount.

Watch the moment the verdict was read in the Derek Chauvin trial

ABC News Special Report: Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges in the death of George Floyd.

The city sat on edge for weeks, fearing a repeat of the chaotic scenes seared into memory from last summer. Businesses lost thousands of dollars from the mayhem.

Damara Tellez, assistant manager of Pietro's Pizza on 17th and Walnut streets, said last summer rioters threw Molotov cocktails into the two buildings next door and burned them down. Her restaurant had to close for two weeks to repair the damage.

"We had a lot of damage. They actually tried to break into our restaurant, they broke the front window door," said Tellez.

SEE ALSO: Derek Chauvin verdict: Philadelphia reacts after former Minneapolis officer found guilty on all charges

The City of Philadelphia is reacting to an all-guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck.

Tellez said she's breathing a sigh of relief that the city was appearing to stay calm after the verdict.

And as people celebrate the jury's decision, Rittenhouse Square looks like business as usual on a Tuesday evening.

"We only destroying it because we ain't get what we want. But now that we got what we want, everybody going to stay in the house," said Tymair Clark of North Philadelphia.