Former Minn. officer who shot Black motorist faces manslaughter charge
26-year police veteran released on $100K bail
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — A white former suburban Minneapolis police officer was charged Wednesday with seconddegree manslaughter for killing 20-yearold Black motorist Daunte Wright in a shooting that ignited days of unrest, and clashes between protesters and police.
The charge against former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter was filed three days after Wright was killed during a traffic stop and as the nearby murder trial progresses for the ex-officer charged with killing George Floyd last May.
The former Brooklyn Center police chief has said that Potter, a 26-year veteran and training officer, intended to use her Taser on Wright, but fired her handgun instead. However, protesters and Wright’s family members say there’s no excuse for the shooting and that it shows how the justice system is tilted against Blacks, noting Wright was stopped for expired car registration and ended up dead.
“Certain occupations carry an immense responsibility and none more so than a sworn police officer,” Imran Ali, Washington County assistant criminal division chief, said in a statement announcing the charge against Potter. “(Potter’s) action caused the unlawful killing of Mr. Wright and she must be held accountable.”
Intent isn’t a necessary component of second-degree manslaughter in Minnesota. The charge — which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison — can be applied when a person is suspected of causing a death by “culpable negligence” that creates an unreasonable risk.
Potter posted $100,000 bond Wednesday evening and was released from Hennepin County jail, online records showed. She was scheduled to make her initial court appearance Thursday afternoon. Her attorney did not respond to messages from the Associated Press.
Brooklyn Center announced a curfew of 10 p.m. Wednesday — the fourth night in a row the city has taken that action. As night fell, several hundred demonstrators had gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters for a fourth, tense night. Police monitored the crowd from the rooftop.
Shortly after 9 p.m., police announced that the protest was an unlawful assembly and ordered people to disperse.
The dispersal order came after state officials said people were throwing things at police and trying to dismantle the fence — the same reason cited for Tuesday’s early order.
Shortly before the dispersal order, some protesters threw objects at police, who responded with occasional gas canisters. Protesters near the fence formed a wall with umbrellas.