Police Officer Charged with Manslaughter in Daunte Wright Shooting

Kim Potter, the US Brooklyn Center police officer who resigned from the force after the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in his death.

The maximum sentence for second degree manslaughter is prison for ten years and a $20,000 fine, according to Minnesota statutes.

On Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s office said they transferred the case to Washington County because they wanted “to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest in handling such cases.”

Potter submitted her resignation on Tuesday, but Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said yesterday that he has not accepted it. She is a 26-year police veteran with the department and worked as a field training officer.

Police Chief Tim Gannon also resigned Tuesday. Gannon had released Potter’s body camera video the day after the Sunday shooting. It showed her approaching Wright as he stood outside of his car as another officer was arresting him for an outstanding warrant. Police said he was pulled over for having expired registration tags.

As Wright struggles with police, Potter is hearing shouting “I’ll Tase you! I’ll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” before firing a single shot from her handgun.

Gannon has said he believed Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was going for her Taser. However, protesters and Wright’s family members say there’s no excuse for the shooting and it shows how the justice system is tilted against Black people, noting Wright was stopped for expired car registration and ended up dead.

The charging decision was announced as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin progresses. George Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck.

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