Kimberly Potter: Cop, 48, who shot Daunte Wright charged with second-degree manslaughter, faces 10 years jail
BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA: Kimberly Ann Potter, the former police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man, at a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, has now been arrested and charged. Potter, 48, is a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department. She was arrested on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, around 12:07 pm CT, as confirmed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. She had turned in her badge on Tuesday, April 13, and resigned along with Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon.
The mugshot of Potter was shared by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office as she now bears the booking number 4035001202. According to the online jail roster, she was released from custody upon posting $100,000 bond around 5:38 pm on Wednesday, April 14. Potter is scheduled to appear at court on April 15, 2021 at 1:30 pm.
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What is the charge against Kimberly Potter?
Potter was in charge of field training a new officer on Sunday, April 11, 2021, when she shot Wright. When the police stopped Wright's vehicle for allegedly violating the Minnesota law of hanging air fresheners from the rearview mirror in a car, they found that Wright had an outstanding arrest warrant to his name.
Wright attempted to flee the police as he was being handcuffed when Potter shouted and warned him, "I'll tase you." But instead, she took out her service weapon and fired a single bullet. She then appears to have dropped her gun. “Holy s**t, I just shot him,” she said as Wright sped away. Wright drove a few blocks after being shot before crashing his car. He was later pronounced dead.
Amid claims that Potter 'accidentally' shot Wright, protests erupted across Minnesota which was rattled barely a year ago by the brutal custodial death of George Floyd. Potter's bodycam footage revealed that she drew her weapon and threatened to pull the trigger for a few seconds before actually firing at Wright.
Here's that bodycam footage again.
— Elizabeth "anti-racist, anti-anarchy" Rose (@erose001) April 13, 2021
A lot of questions have come up asking if Potter was "on something." If you watch closely, you can see she was: The hormone epinephrine, aka adrenaline, the "fight-flight-freeze" endogenous drug. https://t.co/ig5EPJRVKc
"A 26-year veteran of the force knows the difference between a Taser and a firearm. Kim Potter executed Daunte for what amounts to no more than a minor traffic infraction and a misdemeanour warrant," the Wright family lawyer Ben Crump said about Potter, according to a BBC report. He also remarked that the shooting was an 'intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force'.
Following her arrest, Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter for shooting Wright. If convicted, Potter can face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000. According to USA Today, the charge of second-degree manslaughter can be applied in circumstances where a person is suspected to have caused a death by 'culpable negligence'. In such cases, the negligence creates an unreasonable risk and the charged person consciously takes chances leading to the death of another person.