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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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Minnesota cop who shot Daunte Wright faces escalated charges

The new first-degree manslaughter charge is premised on the contention that Kim Potter recklessly handled a firearm, after police said she mistook her gun for a Taser.

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — Prosecutors have upped the ante in the case against former suburban Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, charging her with first-degree manslaughter for the killing of Daunte Wright, an unarmed biracial man.

Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, which took over Potter’s prosecution from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman in May, announced the escalated charge Thursday with the filing of an amended complaint. The new count is premised on a contention that Potter recklessly handled a firearm in shooting Wright. 

Freeman’s office handled the case only briefly after the decision of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput to charge Potter with second-degree manslaughter. The new charge represents an escalation in possible punishment: a second-degree manslaughter conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in Minnesota, while first-degree manslaughter can yield a prison sentence as high as 15 years. 

“In taking over the prosecution of this case from the Washington County Attorney, Attorney General Ellison pledged to conduct a thorough review of the evidence and make an independent decision on the level of charges,” Ellison spokesman John Stiles said in a statement. “After conducting that review — which included consulting with an expert in police use of force — Attorney General Ellison confirmed that the original second-degree manslaughter charge is appropriate, but also concluded that an upgraded charge of first-degree manslaughter is warranted.” 

Potter’s shooting of Wright in April, during which she shouted “Taser, Taser, Taser” before shooting the 20-year-old in the abdomen, brought renewed protests to an already tense Twin Cities metro in the midst of the much-publicized murder trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Protesters gathered at the northern Minneapolis suburb’s police department for several nights, where they were met with rubber bullets and tear gas. 

The shooting, which police say occurred because Potter, white woman, mistook her gun for a Taser electric weapon, took place as Wright attempted to get back into the vehicle he was driving during a traffic-stop arrest. Wright, a biracial man, can be heard on body camera exclaiming "you shot me" before falling back into the car and driving it uncontrolled down the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the amended complaint, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Assistant Special Agent Charles Phill pointed to Potter’s training to back up the “reckless handling” contention. 

“During her 26 years as a police officer, defendant received a substantial amount of training, including training related to use of force and, specifically, to the use of Tasers and firearms,” Phill wrote in the complaint. “Defendant completed annual recertification training courses on each of these weapons. These courses included training on how to draw, aim, and use each weapon correctly. The training material for these courses also included notices alerting defendant to the possibility and risks of drawing a handgun instead of a Taser.” 

One of those courses, Phill pointed out, had been held on March 4, just over a month before Potter shot Wright. He also drew attention to the differences between Potter’s Taser and her Glock handgun, including its grip, position on her duty belt and laser targeting system. 

Potter was arrested in April and released after posting a $100,000 bond. She is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 30 in downtown Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Government Center before Judge Regina Chu.

Attorney Paul Engh, who is representing Potter, did not respond to a request for comment early Thursday evening.

Categories / Criminal, Government, Regional

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