'Smirking' Kim Potter could serve JUST six years in prison for killing Daunte Wright!
Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot a Black man, Daunte Wright, during a traffic stop, was found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter on Thursday, December 23. Potter seemed to show no emotion while the verdicts were read. She will be held without bail.
Daunte Wright, 20, a biracial man who identified as Black, was shot dead by Potter on April 11, 2021, during a traffic stop. The incident took place during an attempted arrest for an outstanding arrest warrant in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Police later said that Potter meant to use her taser, but used her gun accidentally instead, shooting Wright in the chest. Potter was subsequently arrested on April 14, charged with second-degree manslaughter, and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. She was later released on $100,000 bail. Back then, the shooting prompted widespread protests across Brooklyn Center.
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The sentencing
Kim Potter's sentencing is scheduled to take place on February 18, 2022. Attorneys on both sides will now be given time to prepare their arguments in favor of the sentence they wish to see Potter get. A probation officer also will conduct what is called a pre-sentence investigation. Information that could be relevant at the sentencing will now be gathered, including about Potter’s life and history.
Potter will be sentenced only on the most serious charge of first-degree manslaughter under Minnesota statutes, as both the charges against her -- first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter -- stem from one act, with only one victim.
The maximum penalty for first-degree manslaughter predicated on reckless use/handling of a firearm is as much as 15 years in prison. However, Potter has no criminal history, and as per Minnesota sentencing guidelines, she might have to serve roughly between 6 and 8.5 years in prison.
While the defense said they would seek no prison time, prosecutors said that they would seek a sentence above the guideline range. If Judge Regina Chu has to issue a sentence outside the guideline range, she would have to find either mitigating or aggravating factors first.
Following the verdict, the former Brooklyn Center police officer was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Her husband Jeff, a former law enforcement officer, was heard saying, "I love you, Kim", to which Kim answered, "I love you back." Potter was transferred to Minnesota Correctional Facility -- Shakopee -- which is about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, the state Department of Corrections said.