Brooklyn Center Police Chief and Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Resign
Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter (left) and former Police Chief Tim Gannon
Kim Potter, the Brooklyn Center officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop on Sunday, April 11, announced her immediate resignation in an email to city officials Tuesday morning.
The email the now-former officer Kim Potter sent to Brooklyn Center city officials
The news was followed shortly by confirmation from Mayor Mike Elliot that Police Chief Tim Gannon has also resigned.
Elliot said in a media conference Tuesday afternoon that a commander will step in as acting chief of the department. The Washington County Attorney’s Office said possible charges may be brought against Potter, and Elliot called for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to take over the case. No charging decisions have been made public.
PREVIOUSLY: Man, 20, Fatally Shot by Brooklyn Center Police
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified Potter as the officer who fired the fatal gunshot, apparently mistaking her service weapon for her taser. Wright was shot once in the chest and died after he drove a short distance and crashed into another vehicle.
Potter was 26-year department veteran and head of the local police union. Public records show she received her license in 1995 and began working for the Brooklyn Center police department shortly after.
BODYCAM: Brooklyn Center Officer Mistakes Gun for Taser, Fatally Shoots Man
Potter was earlier placed on standard administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by the BCA before her resignation.
In a press conference Monday afternoon, police chief Gannon told reporters that he believes Potter mistook her gun for a taser but declined to say if she would be fired. The body camera footage released during the press briefing that day shows Potter yell “Taser! Taser!” during the struggle before the shot was fired.
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