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Daunte Wright: Kim Potter flees home after address leak, Internet compares 'use of force' with Chauvin's trial

Outrage over the shooting took a turn after Potter's address was posted to social media

For weeks, the trial of Derek Chauvin had captured the nation. Just as the anxiety surrounding the case hit the fan, the death of another Black man shocked the nation. Just days after the shooting of Daunte Wright, officer Kim Potter, who fired the gun, resigned. Shortly after, Brooklyn Center Minnesota police chief also handed in his resignation. Outrage over the shooting took a turn after Potter's address was posted to social media. According to the latest reports, she has fled her home. 

Forty people were arrested on Monday night. Following which mayor Mike Elliott asked protesters to go home peacefully before the city’s curfew on Tuesday.

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Police fired tear gas at protesters gathered outside the Brooklyn Centre, Minnesota police precinct. Elliott said there were plans among some “outside elements” plans to turn peaceful protests into “mayhem”.

“Daunte Wright’s death will not be exploited,” he said in a tweet. “Some outside elements may be planning to show up to infiltrate peaceful protesters and cause mayhem, we will not allow that. We ask folks to protest peacefully then please go home before the curfew goes into effect this evening."

In an emotional press conference, the mother of Daunte Wright spoke about her son’s final moments revealing some of his last words to the police before he was shot. "Am I in trouble?" she reportedly heard her son ask police officers before they "scuffled" and the phone call ended.

She was reportedly joined by family members of George Floyd, who are currently awaiting the outcome in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Wright's connection with the case goes a long time — during a press conference, Daunte’s aunt Naisha Wright said that Floyd's girlfriend, Courteney Ross, was once her nephew's former teacher.

Daunte Wright and George Floyd case similarities

On social media, there is a lot of outrage regarding similarities in the two cases. Many people are calling out furious about how the police had tried to make it into an accidental death — pointing out how Potter wanted to use a taser but used the gun by mistake. "It’s ok. Kim Potter has only been on the force for 26 years. Everyone knows it takes 27 tears of experience to learn the difference between a Glock and a taser #DaunteWright," a user taunted. 

According to a use-of-force researcher, the shooting was the 18th time in the past 20 years that police officers used a gun when they said they intended to use a Taser.

On the other hand, in Chauvin's trial, the defense witnesses began delivering testimony this week. Their use of force expert Barry Brood claimed that the ex-officer was "justified" when he put his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020. "I felt that office Chauvin’s interactions with Mr Floyd were following his training, following current practices in policing, and were objectively reasonable," Barry Brodd, a witness for the defense reportedly said. 

The 'use of force' explanation is not flying with people on social media. "The Right has a tendency to offer individual solutions as a way to downplay or dismiss systemic problems. Yeah, “do what police tell you” is pretty good advice most of the time, but it doesn’t change the fact that we have a police violence problem," one tweeted in response to someone trying to justify the use of force. "If the use of force "expert" believes that kneeling on someone's neck for nine minute is "justified" and not considered "deadly force," then I would like to see a live demonstration with him as the suspect. Let's see if he changes his mind. #ChauvinTrial," another tweeted. "The defense witness in the Derek Chauvin trial, Barry Brodd, said he believed more force should have been used on George Floyd and that no force was used while he was on the ground. Stupid racist m**********r must think the entire jury is blind," an angry user tweeted. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.