Former Officer Convicted In Daunte Wright Murder To Appear In Court

The former police officer Kimberly Potter charged with second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright to appear in court via videoconference today.

Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kimberly Potter charged with manslaughter will have an omnibus hearing, also known as a pretrial hearing on May 17. The hearing’s purpose is to go over the evidence and determine whether there is probable cause for the case to proceed.

Potter shot Daunte Wright in the chest on April 11 after a traffic stop. The police stated that Potter had mistaken her gun for a Taser. Released body camera footage showed Potter shouting “Taser” several times before firing. At the time of the shooting, field training officer Potter was training a new officer.

According to Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, Wright died as a result of “an accidental discharge” by Potter. Wright’s family rejected the police explanation and demanded that Potter was held accountable for Wright’s death. Potter and Gannon resigned from their positions.

Potter was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on April 14. A few hours later, she was released after posting a 100,000 dollar bond.

Daunte Wright was shot and killed amid the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former officer convicted for the murder of George Floyd. According to the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the Brooklyn Centre is less than 10 miles from where Floyd was killed in 2020.

The police body camera footage shows Potter approaching Wright while another officer was arresting him. After Wright struggled with the police, Potter shouted “I’ll Tase you! Taser!” before she fired from her handgun.

Second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and can be applied when a person is suspected of causing death by “culpable negligence”. Wright family attorney Ben Crump said that an experienced officer knows the difference between a Taser and a handgun and disputed that it was an accidental shooting.