Officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright charged with manslaughter



The police officer who fatally shot a black man in a Minneapolis suburb has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

The Washington County Attorney's office has charged Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter in the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot Sunday afternoon while attempting to escape police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

The Brooklyn Center Police Department on Monday said Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, fatally shot Wright by accident after mistaking her handgun for a Taser.

Ben Crump, the attorney for the Wright family, disputed the police department's claim that the shooting was an accident, noting that as a veteran of the force who trained other police officers, Potter would have known whether she was wielding her Taser or a firearm, KARE-TV reports.

Court documents show that Wright had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and was facing an attempted robbery charge for an incident when he allegedly choked a woman and held her at gunpoint.

On Sunday afternoon, Wright, who was driving a white Buick with his girlfriend in the passenger seat, was reportedly pulled over by police for expired license plate tags. When police discovered there was a warrant for his arrest, they attempted to make an arrest.

Body camera footage of the shooting incident released by the police department shows a brief struggle as Wright attempted to break away from the arresting officer and retreat into his vehicle. In the video, an officer identified as Potter repeatedly warns Wright that she will tase him before shooting him with her firearm. Wright managed to drive away, traveling for a few blocks before striking another vehicle. He reportedly died at the scene.

On Monday, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott took direct control of the city's police department with the approval of the city council and fired City Manager Curt Boganey, who had earlier told reporters that Potter would receive "due process" as the incident was investigated.

Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who had characterized the shooting as an accident, submitted their resignations Tuesday.

Although Potter has submitted a resignation letter, Elliott said Tuesday he has not accepted it, adding "we're doing our internal process to make sure that we are being accountable to the steps that we need to take."

Riots have erupted in Minneapolis in the wake of the shooting. The trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd, is taking place just 10 miles from Brooklyn Center.

CNN reports that second-degree manslaughter in Minnesota is applicable when authorities allege a person caused someone's death by "culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another."

If Potter is convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $20,000.

Brooklyn Center police chief says cops 'train with our handguns on our dominant side ... Taser on our weak side,' insists 'accidental discharge' killed Daunte Wright



Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said that the officer who shot Daunte Wright was trained to carry her service weapon on the right side of her belt and her Taser on her left, Insider reported, while insisting that Wright was dead because of an accidental discharge.

TheBlaze previously reported that Officer Kimberly Potter shouted "Taser" several times before firing her gun on Wright. Potter, a 26-year veteran on the force, said that she intended to fire her Taser and not her gun.

What are the details?

During a Monday press conference, Gannon said that officers train with handguns on their dominant side and Tasers on their weak side.

"If you're right-handed, you carry your firearm on your right side, and you carry your Taser on the left," he said according to Insider. "This is done purposefully, and it's trained."

"As I watched the video and listened to the officers commands, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Gannon continued.

Insider noted:

The Glock 22, a .40 caliber sidearm preferred by most police agencies across the country, weighs a little more than two pounds with a standard magazine of 15 bullets.

By contrast, a Taser weighs eight ounces.In addition to the vastly different weight and placement, police Tasers are often yellow. This appears to be the case with at least one of the officers who can be seen in the video from Potter's bodycam footage, as a yellow taser can clearly be seen on the left side of his belt.

A Glock has a sophisticated safety system that prevents accidental discharge. The safety for a Glock 22 is located on the weapon's trigger.

A Taser also has a safety; it is located on the upper rear left of the weapon's barrel.

A 2012 Associated Press report revealed that there have been at least "nine cases in which officers shot suspects with handguns when they said they meant to fire stun guns" dating back to 2001.

Wright was reportedly driving a sedan when officers pulled him over for having expired tags. When officers discovered that Wright had an outstanding warrant, he reportedly attempted to flee from police and was shot in the process.

In body camera footage, Potter shouted, "I'll tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser" before firing her service weapon at Wright.

After firing, Potter cried, "Holy s**t, I just shot him."

Potter was initially placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.

On Tuesday, Gannon and Potter both resigned from the department.

In a statement, Potter said, "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."