Former Officer Kim Potter Gets 2 Years for Manslaughter in Daunte Wright Death
Kimberly Potter awaits sentencing in court on February 18, 2022
Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu for fatally shooting Daunte Wright during a traffic stop last spring.
Two-thirds of Potter’s sentence must be served in prison, while one-third can be served on conditional release. She may be eligible for release in April 2023.
State sentencing guidelines called for Potter to be sentenced to 86 months in prison, with a discretionary range between 74 and 103 months.
Potter was found guilty by a jury on December 23rd of 1st and 2nd-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting Wright, 20, after mistakenly pulling her service firearm instead of her Taser.
BODYCAM: Brooklyn Center Officer Mistakes Gun for Taser, Fatally Shoots Man
During sentencing, Judge Chu stated in her reasoning for a downward departure that Potter’s actions were less serious than other manslaughter cases, the scene was chaotic and rapidly evolving, and there was no personal animosity toward Wright.
"This is a cop who made a tragic mistake," Chu said before handing down the sentencing, noting differences between Potter's case and the convictions of former Minneapolis officers Derek Chauvin and Mohamed Noor.
On April 11, 2021, police officers were making a traffic stop on the vehicle, driven by Wright. During the traffic stop, officers learned that Wright had a warrant out for his arrest. Officers had Wright out of the vehicle and tried to take him into custody, but body camera footage showed that Wright began fighting with officers and re-entered the vehicle. Seconds later, Potter yells “Taser! Taser!” before shooting Wright once. Potter argued that she mistakenly pulled her firearm instead of her Taser.
After Wright’s death, protests at the Brooklyn Center police department led to arrests and thousands of dollars in property damage. Disputes within city leadership led to the Brooklyn Center City Council to fire the city manager and drew the resignation of the police chief.
During the trial, the state argued that Potter was negligent and acted recklessly that day and that her years of training and experience should have prevented the shooting. Assistant state prosecutor Erin Eldridge told jurors that Potter “made a series of bad choices that led to her shooting and killing Daunte Wright. This was no little oopsie.”
PREVIOUSLY: Man, 20, Fatally Shot by Brooklyn Center Police
The prosecution called an expert witness who said that the use of a firearm was not justified and that use of a Taser would have been discouraged because Wright’s position in the car made him likely to be able to easily drive away.
Potter took the stand on the last day of the trial and testified that she had never deployed her Taser or her firearm in her career. She also said she had never received any complaints during her time as an officer.
During cross-examination by Eldridge, Potter broke down and was visibly upset while being shown body camera footage frame-by-frame leading up to the shooting, at one point saying, “I’m sorry it happened.”
"I am so sorry that I brought the death of your son,” Potter said during the sentencing hearing Friday, addressing Wright’s mother. “Katie, I understand a mother's love and I'm sorry I broke your heart.”
View all of our previous coverage
Body Camera Footage of Fatal Shooting of Daunte Wright
Live Aftermath Of Man Fatally Shot by Brooklyn Center Police - April 11, 2021
Riot Outside Brooklyn Center PD After Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting - April 11, 2021
