HENNEPIN COUNTY, Minn. — Jury selection begins Tuesday in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter who fatally shot Daunte Wright when she mistakenly drew and fired her handgun, thinking she was deploying her Taser while attempting an arrest in April.
Potter faces charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter in Wright’s death, Fox News reported.
Wright, 20, was stopped by Potter and the officer she was training, Anthony Luckey, due to traffic infractions, according to the criminal complaint.
Luckey discovered that Wright had an outstanding warrant for a weapons violation related to an armed robbery case, and attempted to arrest him. Wright initially obeyed orders to get out of the car but then broke free from officers and re-entered the vehicle as he was being handcuffed.
Potter’s body camera shows her saying, “I’ll tase ya,” then pulling out her handgun and repeating again, “I’ll tase you.”
About two seconds later, Potter said, “Taser Taser Taser,” and fired a single shot into Wright’s chest.
“S—! I just shot him. … I grabbed the wrong f—— gun,” Potter said. “I’m going to go to prison.”
Potter’s defense will likely argue that it was a mistake. However, prosecutors will argue that she committed first-degree manslaughter while recklessly handling a firearm. The charge for second-degree manslaughter requires culpable negligence, according to Fox.
The trial will be broadcast live based upon a decision by Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, Law Officer reported.
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Wright and an 18-year-old co-defendant friend were charged with aggravated robbery in December 2019 after he allegedly directed the barrel of the weapon at a female victim, reached into her clothing, choked her, and demanded she surrender $820 in cash he knew she had tucked into her bra to pay the rent.
Daunte Wright has been accused of a violent carjacking in a civil lawsuit. (Facebook)
Wright was later accused of violating the terms of his release in the robbery case, which led to the warrant for his arrest that was discovered by Brooklyn Center Police when they stopped him for unrelated traffic infractions in April.
