BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said an officer may have accidentally shot Daunte Wright with a firearm, when she meant to use a Taser, StarTribune reported.
Speaking at a Monday news conference, Gannon said: “It is my belief that the officer had their intention to deploy the Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet,” the chief said, adding that he believes this was an “accidental discharge.”
“I have asked the BCA to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting and death.”
Mayor Mike Elliott said he would “fully support relieving the officer of her duties,” which has occurred, according to the Tribune.
Although local officials did not release the officer’s name, saying that information would soon be released by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Gannon described her as a “very senior officer.”
The area erupted in riots and looting late Sunday after the fatal shooting, Law Officer reported. The incident unfolded about 10 miles from the location of George Floyd’s death last May.
