Kim Potter guilty of manslaughter in Daunte Wright’s death

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. 

(AP) In the death of Daunte Wright, a suburban Minneapolis police officer who claimed she mistook her handgun for her Taser was found guilty of manslaughter on Thursday, bringing tears to the young Black man's parents and a jubilant celebration from supporters outside the courthouse who chanted "Guilty, guilty, guilty!"

Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter was found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter by a predominantly white jury after deliberating for nearly 27 hours. Under the state's sentencing guidelines, Potter, 49, faces about seven years in jail, but prosecutors have suggested they will seek a longer sentence.

According to Judge Regina Chu, Potter was taken into prison and held without bond pending his February 18 sentencing. Potter has been released on a $100,000 bond since she was accused in April of last year, three days after she killed Wright and a day after she resigned from the police force.

"Love you, Kim!" yelled a Potter family member in the courtroom as she was brought away in handcuffs. Potter's lawyers left the courthouse without saying anything and didn't answer phone calls or emails right away.

It was the second high-profile police officer conviction this year for a team led by Attorney General Keith Ellison, which included some of the same lawyers who helped convict Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd in the same courtroom just eight months before.

While that trial took place not long away, Wright was killed, igniting a wave of angry protests outside the Brooklyn Center police station. People demanding "Justice for Daunte" battled with authorities in riot gear for several nights.

As the judgments were read outside the courthouse on Thursday, scores of gathered people erupted in applause, hugs, and tears of joy. A jazz ensemble in the style of New Orleans played "When the Saints Come Marching In," says the narrator. Other people began leaping up and down and yelling "Guilty, guilty, guilty!" when two men jumped up and down, gripping each other's shoulders.

"Say his name!" they chanted. "Daunte Wright!" exclaims the narrator. Some carried yellow signs with the word "guilty" written in bold block characters.

When the findings were read, Potter, who claimed that she "didn't intend to hurt anybody," looked down with no evident expression. Instead, Potter made the cross sign as the Chu thanked the jury.

Potter's lawyers claimed that she should be free until she was sentenced, claiming she would not commit another crime or leave the country.

Potter attorney Paul Engh stated, "It is the Christmas holiday season." "She's a devout Catholic, no less, and incarcerating her at this time would be futile."

On the other hand, Chu dismissed their claims, saying she "cannot treat this case any differently than any other case."

Potter was captured smiling in a mug image taken later as she was processed at a women's prison near Minneapolis, yet showing no evident emotion in court as the verdicts were read.

Prosecutor Erin Eldridge hugged a sobbing Katie Bryant, Wright's mother and a regular attendee at the trial, and Wright's father after Potter was brought from the courtroom. The parents and Ellison exchanged hugs as well.

Following the decision, Ellison stated outside the courthouse that the verdict provided a level of accountability for Potter but fell short of justice.

"Justice would be bringing Daunte back to life and reuniting the Wright family," Ellison explained. "For Daunte, justice is beyond what we can achieve in this life. However, accountability is a key, necessary step on the road to justice for all of us."

According to Ellison, Potter has gone from "esteemed member of the community" to being convicted of a significant felony.

The verdicts caused "every single feeling that you could imagine," Wright's mother said as she hugged Ellison.

"Today we received accountability, which is exactly what we've been asking for since the beginning," Katie Bryant said, praising supporters for keeping the pressure on.

She said, "We love you, we appreciate you, and we honestly couldn't have done it without you."

Jurors agreed on the second count on Tuesday before asking the judge what to do if they couldn't agree that afternoon, according to the timestamps on the verdicts. At 11:40 a.m., a guilty verdict on the more serious first-degree felony was obtained.

Potter, a white man, shot and murdered Wright, 20, during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center on April 11 as she and other officers attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for weapons possession. The shooting occurred during heightened tension in the area, with Chauvin on trial for Floyd's death in nearby Minneapolis.

Jurors were shown a video from police body cameras and dashcams of the shooting. Potter twice said she would tase Wright while another officer sought to tie him but instead shot him once in the chest with her revolver, which was in her hand.

"(Expletive)! I just fired a shot at him. On video revealed to the jury, Potter replied, "I grabbed the wrong (expletive) gun." "I'm going to prison," she said a few moments later.

Potter told jurors she was "sorry it occurred" throughout her sometimes sad statement. "It just got hectic," she stated of the traffic stop.

First-degree manslaughter carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. However, when several counts involve the same act and the same victim, Minnesota law only punishes criminals to their most serious conviction, which carries a sentence of about seven years.

Prosecutors have stated that they will endeavor to establish aggravating circumstances that warrant an upward departure from sentence guidelines. They claimed that Potter's conduct put others in danger, including her fellow cops, Wright's passenger, and the couple whose car was hit by Wright's following the shooting. They also charged her with abusing her authority as a cop.

Potter's defenders contended that she made a fatal error but would have been justified in using deadly force if Potter's colleague officer, then-Sgt. Mychal Johnson had been in danger.

Potter stated that she took action after noticing Johnson's fearful expression. However, Eldridge told jurors that Potter was behind a third officer she was training for much of the encounter and that Johnson didn't enter into her camera's view until after the shot was fired — and then only the top of his head as he backed away.

Eldridge added, "Sgt. Johnson was not terrified of being dragged." "He never stated that he was afraid." Moreover, he didn't say anything at the time, and he didn't testify in court about it."

Eldridge also pointed out an inconsistency in Potter's testimony, claiming that during an interview with a defense psychologist, she stated that she had no idea why she deployed her Taser. However, Potter testified to the jury that she had no recollection of saying that.

For first-degree manslaughter, prosecutors had to show that Potter killed Wright while committing a misdemeanor — in her case, irresponsible firearm handling. The allegation of second-degree murder required them to show that she was responsible for Wright's death through "culpable carelessness."