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Kim Potter, a former police officer from Minnesota, broke down in tears and apologized during her trial for killing 20-year-old African-American man Daunte Wright earlier this year.
The ex-officer claimed that she mistakenly fired a gun at the victim instead of her taser while the latter was resisting arrest. She also insisted that a “look of fear” in her fellow officer’s face prompted her to use a taser:
"He [Mr Johnson] had a look of fear on his face. It's something I've never seen before. It just went chaotic. I remember yelling 'Taser, Taser, Taser', and nothing happened. Then he told me I shot him. I was very distraught. I just shot somebody. I've never done that. I'm so sorry it happened. I'm sorry."
During the hearing, Kim Potter’s attorneys stated that the “use of force” was justified during the incident as Daunte Wright allegedly endangered the officers during the altercation.
However, use-of-force expert Seth Stoughton clarified that even using a taser was "unreasonable" during the incident:
"[A police officer] would not have concluded that there was an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm, and thus the use of force was excessive.”
Following testimonies from nearly 30 witnesses taken across eight days, prosecutors claimed that Kim Potter should have differentiated between her handgun and taser, especially with several years of training.
Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Erin Eldridge alleged that the fatal shooting was a result of "recklessness and negligence." Kim Potter is currently facing two charges of manslaughter.
Charges against ex-officer Kim Potter explained
The opening statements of the Kim Potter trial for shooting Daunte Wright began earlier this month. The hearing came to a rest on Friday, December 17, as the defendant broke down in tears mid-trial.
The former Minnesota cop is facing first and second-degree manslaughter charges for mistakenly killing the 20-year-old victim during a traffic stop scuffle in April.
The first-degree manslaughter charge stems from “reckless handling or use of a firearm” while endangering the safety of another individual with the use of “force and violence” resulting in severe bodily harm or death of any person under “reasonably foreseeable” circumstances.
As per prosecutors, Kim Potter is facing charges for causing the death of Daunte Wright while committing a misdemeanor.
The second-degree manslaughter charge is related to creating an “unreasonable risk” and consciously taking the chance of “causing death or great bodily harm” to an individual by using or possessing a firearm.
Prosecutors have alleged that Kim Potter is facing the charge of causing Daunte Wright’s death by her "culpable negligence.”
Towards the beginning of the case, prosecutors sought only a second-degree manslaughter charge. However, they added first-degree manslaughter in September.
The defense team previously asked Judge Regina Chu to dismiss the first-degree manslaughter charge, but the request was denied as prosecutors provided probable cause for the charge.
The maximum sentence for first and second-degree manslaughter is 15 years and 10 years, respectively. However, as per sentencing guidelines in Minnesota, judges follow just seven years of jail time for first-degree and four years for second-degree.
Prosecutors have decided to ask Judge Chu to consider a stronger sentence if Kim Potter is convicted due to aggravating factors.
How did Kim Potter shoot Daunte Wright?
On April 11, 2021, Kim Potter was reportedly training new officer Anthony Luckey in Minnesota when officers pulled over Daunte Wright’s white Buick in a traffic stop. The trainee allegedly noticed an air freshener hanging out of Wright’s rearview mirror.
In addition to minor traffic violations, officers also noted that the license plate tabs of Wright’s car had expired. During the investigation, authorities found an arrest warrant for Daunte Wright as he failed to appear in court on a weapons charge; he fled from police the previous summer.
Following the discovery, Anthony Luckey asked Wright to exit his car and attempted to put him in handcuffs. However, the latter tried to pull away from the officer and get inside his car, prompting Kim Potter to issue a taser warning.
Shortly after the warning, Potter took out her handgun in place of the taser and fired at Wright, striking him on the left side. The bullet pierced through the victim’s heart and left lung, leaving him dead on the spot.
According to body-cam footage presented in court, Potter could be seen realizing the consequences of her actions right after the shooting:
“S**t, I just shot him. I grabbed the wrong f***ing gun and I shot him. I'm going to go to prison. And I killed the boy.”
Following the latest hearing of the case, Wright’s family and legal team mentioned that Potter’s defense was "simply beyond comprehension":
"The argument that she mistook her firearm for her Taser is simply beyond comprehension and a damning indictment of both her and the Brooklyn Center Police Department's practices and training protocols.”
The closing argument for the case is set to begin on Monday, December 20, 2021. Kim Potter could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
