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Was Daunte Wright ‘accidentally’ killed? Minnesota senior cop shouted ‘Taser!’ and cried ‘Holy sh*t, I shot him’

Brooklyn Centre chief described the incident as 'accidental discharge', leading social media to call it 'one of the worst excuses'

Brooklyn Centre police chief Tim Gannon has set off a firestorm after describing the shooting of Daunte Wright as 'accidental'. At a news conference, Gannon called the shooting "an accidental discharge" and released bodycam footage to prove his point. The officer who fatally shot Wright has now been identified as Kimberly A Potter.

In the footage, the cops can be seen attempting to handcuff Wright, leading to a struggle. The female officer then shouts "taser" several times before drawing her gun and firing at Wright. The footage ends with Wright speeding away in his car, while the cop says, "Holy s**t, I shot him." She drops her gun, which Gannon said was later retrieved from the car.

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The chief said, "This was an accidental discharge that resulted in a tragic death of Mr Wright." He added, "As I watch the video and listen to the officer's commands, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their taser, but instead shot Mr Wright with a single bullet." While the department is yet to release the name of the cop who shot Wright, Gannon described the cop as "a very senior officer". 

President Joe Biden has called for calm in the aftermath of the shooting. "The question is whether it was an accident or intentional? That remains to be determined," he said. Brooklyn Park Mayor Mike Elliott on the other hand had a stronger opinion. At the press conference, he said that the officer involved should be fired. "My position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession," he told media outlets. 

The press release of Daunte's death report says "the individual died of a gunshot wound to the chest and manner of death is homicide". That ruling confirms that Wright died due to the officer's actions and that she is responsible. 

'Clearly, that's b******t'

After the press conference, many internet users took to social media to condemn the officer and Gannon's defense. Outraged at the fact that the cop couldn't tell the difference between a taser and a gun, many slammed her and said she "shouldn't be a cop". One user tweeted, "If you don't know how a gun vs how a taser feels like, you don't get to be a cop. If you don't know how to value human life, then you don't get to be a cop."

Another person tweeted, "Accidentally discharge of a firearm?! The officer wanted to use a taser and instead chose his gun by accident and fired and killed Daunte Wright?! He couldn’t tell the damn difference?! ONE OF THE WORST EXCUSES I’VE EVER HEARD."

One person didn't mince their words and said, "Cops are saying they mistook a gun for a taser. Clearly that’s bullshit." Another tweeted, "“Why would you run from the cops?” Well, for starters, they can’t tell their Glock from their taser."

"Wild how I, a civilian, have [hypothetically] trained myself to reach into my *redacted* drawer, in the dark, and pull out my pistol w/ trigger discipline but a cop can’t tell the difference between a taser & gun, that they carry every every day, in broad daylight," tweeted one person. Writer Chip Franklin said, "Raise your hand if you think America is ready for cops who know the difference between a taser and a handgun. RIP Daunte Wright, Oscar Grant, so many more..."

Even Steven Crowder, the conservative YouTube host known for racist comments tweeted, "Watched the full footage. Takeaways: 1) This has nothing to do with race. 2) The female cop yelling “taser!” before using an ACTUAL FIREARM should be fired for ineptitude. 3) If you have a violent rap sheet and an active warrant, please don’t violently resist arrest."

Since the incident, the cop has been placed on administrative leave while the case is being investigated by The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Wright was shot during a traffic stop on April 11, as the state is grappling with the trial of Derek Chauvin. An already on-edge Minnesota erupted once again, as people took to the streets protesting Wright's death, leading to some looting and rioting. Police in riot gear were deployed as protesters jumped atop police cars, threw rocks at officers, and began looting local stores. Eventually, the National Guard was brought in to control the situation.