Kim Potter trial: Ex-officer could face 25 years in jail after guilty verdict for killing Daunte Wright
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After three-and-a-half days of deliberation, the jury has reached a decision in the case of Kim Potter, a white former Minneapolis-area police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist.
Potter was found guilty on both charges of manslaughter she was facing for mistakenly grabbing her gun instead of her Taser before pulling the trigger during an April 2021 traffic stop with Mr Wright. She had pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charges against her.
The case was seen by many as a test of whether the justice system will hold police accused of excessive force accountable.
Mr Wright’s killing occurred in April while another white officer, former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin, was on trial for the murder of George Floyd just miles away. The shooting set off another round of large-scale civil rights protests in the Twin Cities, after a summer of unrest in 2020.
ICYMI: Who is Kim Potter and why did she shoot Daunte Wright?
Who is Kim Potter, the former Minneapolis-area police officer found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Daunte Wright?
The Independent’s Sravasti Dasgupta has this explainer on what you need to know about this high-profile case.
Kim Potter trial: Who is the ex-Minnesota officer who shot Daunte Wright?
Kim Potter claims she made an ‘innocent mistake’ and mistook her firearm for her Taser when she shot Daunte Wright dead
WATCH: Minnesota Attorney general says Kim Potter verdict isn’t same as ‘justice'
The moment Kim Potter broke down on the stand
One of the most memorable moments in the trial of Kim Potter came when the former Brooklyn Center police officer broke down in tears while facing cross-examination.
“I didn’t want to hurt anybody,” she told the jury, before burying her head in her hands and weeping.
Here’s what happened:
Kim Potter breaks down in tears as she describes moment she shot Daunte Wright
The Brooklyn Center police officer testifies at her trial on charges of first degree and second degree manslaughter
WATCH: Body camera video shows chaotic moments before Daunte Wright’s death
Unlike in many cases of police misconduct, there was clear video of what happened in April 2021, when Kim Potter shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.
The former Brooklyn Center officer can be heard yelling, “Taser, Taser,” even though she is holding her pistol. During her trial, which concluded today with a guilty verdict for manslaughter, the officer argued she had made a mistake but was right to use force to protect her fellow officers during the scuffle with Mr Wright.
Kim Potter sports big smile in first mugshot after guilty verdict
Former police officer Kim Potter sported a wide smile on Thursday in her first mugshot since being found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Daunte Wright.
She’s now in custody at the Shakopee, Minnesota, women’s prison until her sentencing hearing next year.
Photos capture emotional moments after Kim Potter verdict
The Kim Potter case was more than a simple policing inquiry. For many residents of Minneapolis and its surrounding areas, the story at the heart of it was another sign of excessive force being used by law enforcement against Black people.
In April, Potter’s killing of the 20-year-old Daunte Wright set off impassioned protests in the suburb of Brooklyn Center, and outside of court on Thursday, family members and supporters experienced a wave of relief.
Photographer Ben Hovland captured the moment for Sahan Journal.
Minnesota governor calls for police reform so ‘this never happens again'
Minnesota governor Tim Walz is among the many taking the Kim Potter verdit with a mix of relief and resolution.
The Democrat wrote on Thursday on Twitter that more needed to be done to stop police violence.
“No verdict can bring Daunte Wright back to his loved ones,” he said. “Minnesota has work to do to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again, and I am committed to continuing that work.”
What was Kim Potter charged with in the death of Daunte Wright?
A white suburban Minneapolis police officer has been found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright a Black man.
Kim Potter said she meant to use her Taser to try to stop the 20-year-old Wright from fleeing during an April 11 traffic stop but accidentally grabbed her gun instead.
Here’s a look at the charges and potential penalties:
What was Kim Potter charged with in the death of Daunte Wright?
A white suburban Minneapolis police officer has been found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright, a Black man
Key moments in the police shooting of Daunte Wright
With the Kim Potter trial over, at least for now, it’s a good time to step and ask: How did we get here?
Here’s a step-by-step timeline of key moments in the case.
Key moments in the police shooting of Daunte Wright
A jury has convicted suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright
Read the Wright family’s full statement on the Kim Potter verdict
It’s been an emotional nine months for the Wright family, after former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright in April.
Here’s what they had to say on Thursday after Potter was found guilty on all charges of manslaughter.
“The family of Daunte Wright is relieved that the justice system has provided some measure of accountability for the senseless death of their son, brother, father and friend. From the unnecessary and overreaching tragic traffic stop to the shooting that took his life, that day will remain a traumatic one for this family and yet another example for America of why we desperately need change in policing, training and protocols. If we are ever going to restore the confidence of Black and marginalized Americans in law enforcement, we need to have accountability and a commitment to listening and to creating meaningful change. We must now turn our attention to ensuring that Kim Potter receives the strongest and most just sentence possible. It is also imperative that we focus on the conduct of Brooklyn Center and pinpoint its systemic failures that contributed to Daunte’s unlawful death.”