Kim Potter: Ex-cop who fatally shot Black man Daunte Wright released from Minnesota prison
MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES: Former police officer Kim Potter, who shot and killed a Black man and claimed that she mistakenly used her firearm instead of her Taser, has been released from the Shakopee, Minnesota Correctional Facility at around 4.00 am on Monday, April 24, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC).
Following her conviction for manslaughter in connection with the death of Daunte Wright, former police officer Kim Potter has been released from prison after serving two years. As part of her supervised release in Wisconsin, Potter will be subject to announced visits from supervising agents, drug and alcohol testing, and is prohibited from owning or being around firearms. Additionally, Potter is not allowed to leave Wisconsin without approval from state officials, as reported by Law and Crime.
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On April 11, 2021, during an attempted arrest of a 20-year-old man over a misdemeanor warrant, former police officer Kim Potter, whose body camera was on, could be heard warning the man as he allegedly resisted. In an effort to get the man to comply, Potter used a stun gun on him before fatally shooting him in the midsection while yelling "Taser! Taser! Taser!," according to reports.
After former police officer Kim Potter fatally shot Daunte Wright in the midsection she reportedly exclaimed "Holy s**t! I just shot him" upon realizing what had happened as Wright drove away in his car. Prosecutors have stated that Wright was shot in the heart and was able to drive a short distance before his vehicle crashed and stopped down the street.
Former police officer Kim Potter was sentenced to less than two years in prison after the shooting death of Daunte Wright. According to a press release by Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC) spokesperson Andy Skoogman, "Minnesota is a determinate sentencing state, meaning that individuals serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the remaining third on supervised release."
Potter's pre-drawn release
The Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC) released a statement explaining that the early release of former police officer Kim Potter was done "in an abundance of caution for the safety of Ms Potter, DOC staff, and the security of the correctional facility." According to the press release, the decision was made after MDOC intelligence analysts "obtained information that elevated concern for Ms Potter’s safety, including threatening comments directed at her and the potential for violent protests outside the Shakopee correctional facility" in the days leading up to her supervised release.
Daunte Wright was fatally shot in Shakopee, the same city where former cop Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd a year later. This event gained international attention and led to protests worldwide over the use of force by police against unarmed Black people. MDOC spokesperson Andy Skoogman said, "Based on the intelligence we gathered, we released Ms Potter at a time we felt was safest for her and for everyone at the correctional facility."