Former Brooklyn Center Police Department Officer Kim Potter has been sentenced to two years in prison with credit for time served. As a result, she will spend the next 16 months in state custody.
On April 11, 2021, a young man by the name of Daunte Wright was driving his car through Brooklyn Center, Minnesota as his girlfriend sat in the passenger seat. As he drove through the Minneapolis suburb, a pair of police officers claim Wright violated a few traffic violations. After pulling Wright’s vehicle over, police learned that Wright had an outstanding warrant. From there, the officers asked Wright to step outside of the vehicle. As an officer prepared to handcuff Wright, NPR reports that he “appeared to pull his hands away and duck back into the car.” While one officer attempted to restrain Wright, Potter shouted the word, “Taser,” multiple times. Instead of using her taser, Potter drew her gun and fired at Wright. The young driver was wounded and died shortly thereafter.
“Holy sh*t, I just shot him,” Potter appeared to say after shooting Wright.
Within 72 hours, Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Five months later, the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison added a first-degree manslaughter charge. After a month-long trial and 27 hours of jury deliberation, the former police officer was found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.
“We have a degree of accountability for Daunte’s death,” Ellison told court reporters, according to NBC News.
“Accountability is not justice. … Justice is beyond the reach that we have in this life for Daunte. But accountability is an important step, a critical, necessary step on the road to justice for us all.”
Potter was held in custody at Shakopee Women’s Correctional Facility after the jury came to a verdict. At this time, it is unclear if she will remain at the facility to serve the remainder of her sentence.
