Who is officer Kim Potter and what did she do to Daunte Wright?
DAUNTE Wright, 20, was allegedly killed after a female officer accidentally shot him while trying to use a Taser in Minneapolis.
The senior female cop who allegedly shot and killed Wright on April 11, 2021 and was ultimately charged with first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter was identified as a 26-year veteran of the force, Kimberly Potter.
Who is Kimberly Potter?
Opening statements in the trial of Kimberly Potter begin on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 in the same courtroom where ex-cop Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, according to CNN.
Potter has pleaded not guilty and faces a decade in prison at the minimum if convicted.
The Brooklyn Center Police officer was identified as Kimberly Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, who allegedly fired her gun while trying to use a Taser after Wright, 20, was pulled over.
Potter, 49, was placed on administrative duty following the shooting.
On April 13, 2021, Potter resigned from her position – two days after the shooting.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said Police Chief Tim Gannon also resigned from his position.
In a letter to Elliott and other officials, Potter wrote: "I am tendering my resignation from the Brooklyn Center Police Department effective immediately. I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately."
The Star Tribune reports that she is a mother to two adults sons, and joined the police force in Minnesota in 1995 at the age of 22.
She also reportedly served on the negotiation team during her tenure at the department.
Why did Kimberly Potter shoot Daunte Wright?
Bodycam footage has revealed the moment Wright was killed during a routine traffic stop.
According to a statement from the Brooklyn Center Police Department, Wright was pulled over for a traffic violation.
Officers tried to take him into custody when they discovered he had an outstanding warrant.
As he got back into his car, one of the officers shot him dead.
Wright’s sobbing mother Katie told a crowd how her son called her to say he had been pulled over by police because of an air freshener on his rearview mirror.
She said she heard officers tell her son to put his phone down, and then the call ended.
Soon after, her son's girlfriend told her he had been shot.
She told reporters: "All he did was have air fresheners in the car and they told him to get out of the car.
"He got out of the car and his girlfriend said they shot him."
Was Kimberly Potter charged?
On Thursday, September 2, 2021, Porter was charged with first-degree manslaughter by recklessly handling a firearm, according to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office.
The state attorney general's office said in a statement that "the original second-degree manslaughter charge is appropriate, but also concluded that an upgraded charge of first-degree manslaughter is warranted."
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput announced on April 14, 2021, that Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting.
Potter was arrested on April 14.
“Certain occupations carry an immense responsibility and none more so than a sworn police officer,” Imran Ali, Washington County assistant criminal division chief and director of the Major Crime Unit, said in a statement in April.
“With that responsibility comes a great deal of discretion and accountability," the statement continued.
We will vigorously prosecute this case and intend to prove that Officer Potter abrogated her responsibility to protect the public when she used her firearm rather than her taser.
"Her action caused the unlawful killing of Mr. Wright and she must be held accountable. County Attorney Peter Orput and I met with the family, expressed our deepest sympathies and assured them we would spare no resources in seeking justice for Mr. Wright.”
What has Police Chief Tim Gannon said?
On April 12, 2021, Tim Gannon, the Brooklyn Center Minnesota police chief, described the fatal shooting as "an accidental discharge," during a news briefing.
After watching the bodycam footage, he said: "This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officers' reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright."
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He said the officer who fired the fatal shot had intended to use a Taser – not a handgun.
He said the investigation was in its early stages and based on a preliminary police review of the video evidence.
Gannon resigned from his position on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.
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