The former Minnesota police officer who fatally shoot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop will be charged with second-degree manslaughter for his killing, Washington County prosecutor Pete Orput announced Wednesday. The second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The charges come three days after Wright, an unarmed 20-year-old Black motorist, was shot and killed by Potter during a traffic stop.
Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Tuesday following the shooting as did Police Chief Tim Gannon.
Gannon said he believes Potter, a 26-year veteran with the Brooklyn Center Police Department, meant to deploy her Taser during the fatal incident.
“As I watched the video and listen to the officer’s commands, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet,” Gannon said. “This appears to me from what I viewed and the officer’s reaction in distress immediately after that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
In a Tuesday interview with ABC News, Wright’s family didn’t accept that explanation
“I lost my son. He’s never coming back,” Wright’s father, Aubrey Wright, said. “I can’t accept that. A mistake? That doesn’t even sound right. This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can’t accept that.”
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), agents with the BCA arrested Potter at around 11:30 a.m. at the BCA in St. Paul.
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