Source: Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty
Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop was arrested in connection with his death, authorities said Wednesday.
Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with Wright’s death, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput announced.
Wright died of a single gunshot wound to the chest on Sunday afternoon, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, which classified his death as a homicide.
Potter resigned on Tuesday after receiving backlash for her actions during the traffic stop. She joined Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon who also turned in his badge over the incident. The now former Chief claims Potter was reaching for her taser when she accidentally grabbed her service weapon and fired a shot.
A body-camera video released Monday showed Wright trying to get back in his car as a female voice, presumed to be Potter’s, could be heard shouting “Taser!” before the fatality occurred.
The same female voice could later be heard saying, “Holy s*** I just shot him,” as the car pulled away, police said.
Wright family attorneys Benjamin Crump, Jeff Storms and Anthony Romanucci said in a statement that the Washington County district attorney’s decision to charge Potter was a step towards justice.
“While we appreciate that the district attorney is pursuing justice for Daunte, no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back,” they said in a statement. “This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force.”
“A 26-year veteran of the force knows the difference between a taser and a firearm. Kim Potter executed Daunte for what amounts to no more than a minor traffic infraction and a misdemeanor warrant,” they said. “It’s past time for meaningful change in our country.”
This incident is the latest killing associated with police brutality in Minnesota over the past five years. All while tensions remain high as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stands trial for the killing of George Floyd, whose death sparked nationwide protests last summer.
