Former Minnesota Police Officer Kimberly Potter Found Guilty In Daunte Wright Shooting
Kimberly Potter, the police officer in Minnesota who shot and killed 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright, was found guilty Thursday of first- and second-degree manslaughter.
Potter had testified that she mistakenly used her 9mm handgun when she meant to use her stun gun in the April shooting. She faces 15 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.
The shooting took place just a few miles north of where Derek Chauvin was standing trial for the murder of George Floyd.
Wright was pulled over for having an expired driver’s license and having an air freshener dangling on his review mirror, which is a violation in Minnesota.
Wright was not armed. The stop escalated after police learned he had a pending warrant for failing to appear in court over a weapons charge.
Officer Anthony Luckey attempted to put handcuffs on Wright but Wright wiggled away and got back into his car. Potter then mistakenly pulled her gun instead of her taser and threatened to tase Wright if he did not comply.
Seconds later, she shouted “taser, taser, taser” before firing a single round at Wright, who sped off for a short distance. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
"This was no little oopsie. This was not putting the wrong date on a check. This was not entering the wrong password somewhere. This was a colossal screw-up, a blunder of epic proportions," Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge said. "It was precisely the thing she had been warned about for years, and she had been trained to prevent it."
Potter’s defense attorneys argued Wright should have complied with police orders.
Potter testified in her own defense describing the scene as “chaotic” and that it required her to make a split-second decision. She testified that she feared for the safety of Sgt. Mychal Johnson, who was leaning on the passenger side of Wright’s car and that Johnson could have been hurt if Wright drove away.
Potter sobbed while recalling the shooting, saying she was “so sorry” for what had happened.
"Her remorse and regret for the incident is overwhelming. She’s not a danger to the public," Paul Engh, one of Potter's attorneys, told the court.
Potter, who served as a police officer for 26 years, had resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department two days after the killing.
Potter will be held without bail. Her sentencing date is on Feb. 18, 2022.
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