Source: KEREM YUCEL / Getty
Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer that shot and killed Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb, has been officially charged with a crime. Potter was slapped with second-degree manslaughter and is now free on a $100,000 bond.
Local outlet KSTP reports that Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, was formally charged by the Washington County Attorney’s Office on Wednesday (April 14). If Potter’s case goes to a conviction, she will face up to a maximum of 10 years in jail and a possible $20,000 fine.
Potter was arrested in St. Paul at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension by agents and her bail was set at $100,000. Potter is slated to appear in court later today (April 15). Potter posted bond at around 5:38 PM local time yesterday afternoon.
The outlet adds that Pete Orput, the Washington County Attorney, has had a preliminary chat with the family of Wright and their legal team this past Tuesday. Ben Crump is spearheading the legal team for Wright’s family.
The 48-year-old old former officer resigned from her post on Tuesday (April 13), joining Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon who also stepped down. Gannon says he believes the shooting was accidental as Potter yelled out she was going to deploy a Taser instead of her service weapon but her miscalculation led to Wright being shot.
In a criminal complaint, it was noted that Potter’s Taser was on the left side of her holster, which apparently is a standard procedure and it appears she realized it was a mistake soon after discharging her gun.
A portion of a statement from Ben Crump and the legal team reads as follows:
While we appreciate that the district attorney is pursuing justice for Daunte, no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back. This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force. Driving while Black continues to result in a death sentence. 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 misdemeanor warrant.
Daunte Wright was 20.
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Photo: Getty
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