Daunte Wright. Wright, 20, was pulled over April 11, 2021, by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter for an expired tag and illegal air freshener, authorities have said. Frank was also the lead prosecutor for the trial of Derek Chauvin. "[33][34][35] The supervisor released his hands from attempting to restrain Wright. She said her family bought Daunte the car two weeks ago. "An accident is knocking over a glass of milk," Jeff Storms, an attorney for Wright's family, said during a press conference outside Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. She said she's unsure why the situation escalated. Michelle Filkins cleans up and lights candles at the Daunte Wright memorial after guilty verdicts were announced against former police officer Kimberly Potter on December 23, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Ben Crump. Wright then drove off a short distance, but his vehicle collided with another and hit a concrete barrier. Potter is required to serve two-thirds of her two-year sentence in prison, or 16 months, according to state law. Justice is beyond the reach that we have in this life for Daunte. He planned to get his GED and workedto support his son, Daunte Jr. "He is fatherless," she said of Wright's son. The was the last time that I saw my son. [16][32] She grabbed a piece of paper from the trainee with her right hand, then moved it to her left hand. In the wake of Daunte Wright's tragic death during an interaction with Minnesota police officers, his parents, Aubrey and Katie Wright, are unhappy with the police chief's claim that the circumstances resulting in the 20-year-old's death were "accidental." Now, they're speaking out on his behalf. Daunte Demetrius Wright was a 20-year-old living in Minneapolis, having recently moved there from Chicago. [59][60] Potter was placed on administrative leave by the Brooklyn Center police pending further investigation. Elliot was defeated in a re-election bid in the 2022 Minnesota elections by April Graves who largely ran on the issue. [31], After her indictment, Potter was arrested, booked into a Hennepin County jail and released a few hours later after posting a $100,000 bail bond. The police chief said Potter can be heard in the video warning Daunte Wright and her fellow officers that she will be deploying her Taser. "He was loved. Civil lawsuits settled by Brooklyn Center: McKinney, Matt and Kim Hyatt (August 22, 2021). I just shot somebody. Shortly after Wrights death, the Brooklyn Center Police Department released video of how the traffic stop unfolded. [136][138], Potter's sentencing hearing was held on February 18, 2022. [68][35][31] The criminal complaint against Potter stated that she caused Wright's death "by her culpable negligence," whereby she "created an unreasonable risk and consciously took a chance of causing death or great bodily harm" to Wright. RELATED: Daunte Wright's family, Brooklyn Center reach $3.25 million settlement. [15][26], On April 14, Potter was charged by the Washington County Attorney's Office with second-degree manslaughter, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 609.205, a felony offense entailing "culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk" that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years incarceration and/or a $20,000 fine. Police said Monday that Wright had warrants out for his arrest and was stopped because he had expired plates. [92][93] Air fresheners became a symbol at protests and rallies over Wright's death, referring to one of the violations police alleged Wright committed the day of the shooting. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, U.S. [161], A broad public safety and police reform plan put forward by Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot in the aftermath of Wright's death became a source of political controversy as it ultimately failed to be enacted into law. Sophia Ankel and Joshua Zitser. "She was crying and screaming, and she says that they shot him," Katie Wright remembered. [46][47] Immediately after shooting Wright, she was still holding the piece of paper with her left hand. On Sunday, the 20-year-old's laughter stopped, turning to community anger and disbelief after Wright was fatally shot by a senior Brooklyn Center officer when, police said, she mistookher gun for a taser. Whitaker claims that of the approximately $1,039,260 raised through the fund and managed by Crump's firm, "not one . Potter shot and killed Wright, saying she had mistaken her gun for a Taser. "And then I heard an officer ask her to hang up the phone again and then after that, that's the last time I've seen my son. Prince Philip's Funeral Will Be a "Low Key" Event that Is Televised for the Public, Fans and 'SNL' Cast Members Mourn the Loss of Writer Anne Beatts, Rapper DMX Died at the Age of 50, Surrounded by Friends and Family. Taser! Distractify is a registered trademark. [67] On April 13, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said he was planning to complete a "thorough yet expedited" review of potential criminal charges in the case. [132][133], Opening statements in the trial began on December 8. Katie Bryant, Daunte Wright's mom, looks at the crowd gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, in Minneapolis, after jurors found former suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter guilty of first degree and second degree manslaughter in the death of motorist Daunte Wright. Under the policy, police officers would still be able to make an arrest if an offender posed a safety threat. By Kim Bellware. Apr 17, 2021, 7:47 AM. [16] Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott called on Governor Tim Walz to reassign the case to the office of the State Attorney General Keith Ellison. Activists march towards the Multnomah County Sheriff's office during a protest against the killing of Daunte Wright on April 12, 2021 in Portland, Ore. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "My position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession," Elliott told reporters Monday. In an interview with Good Morning America, Daunte's parents explained very clearly what they thought about police ruling the situation that left their son dead a "mistake." He had a smile that was angelic. CousinMario Greer said Wright's favorite holiday was the Fourth of July. [69][70] Potter briefly made her first court appearance via Zoom on April 15 before Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu. He's afraid of the police, and I just seen and heard the fear in his voice, but I don't know why and it should have never escalated the way it did.". [152] In 2019, a scuffle in a jail cell led to another accidental shooting by a backup officer in New Hope, Pennsylvania. "He may not have been an angel," his grandmother said, "but he was our angel. Wright's mother, Katie, said, "she [Potter] never once said his name. At the request of Potter's attorneys, Chu ruled on August 5 that cameras would not to be permitted in the courtroom. I heard the phone getting put down pretty hard," Katie Wright said on "GMA" during Tuesday's exclusive interview. Wright was killed by Officer Kim Potter during a routine traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, according . Officers administered CPR, but were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The family of Daunte Wright celebrate a guilty verdict for Kim Potter outside of the Hennepin County Government Center on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, in Minneapolis. [65] According to The Independent, Potter fled her home for safety reasons after her address was leaked on social media. That's when she heard police ask her son to step out of the vehicle. Mr Wright, an unarmed father of a two-year-old, was fatally shot by Brooklyn Centre officer Kimberly Potter, a veteran of 26 years of the force, on Sunday afternoon while driving with his girlfriend. "He just had his whole life taken away from him. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Wright's family believed that had the policy been in place when he was stopped by police, he would not have been killed. Now, they're speaking out on his behalf. Potter can be heard repeatedly yelling, Taser before she shot Wright with her handgun. A day after Daunte Wright, 20, was shot dead during a Sunday afternoon traffic stop, family and friends remembered him as someone who enjoyed every joke, every laugh, every lively moment he created. "But I don't know why and it should have never escalated the way it did. Aubrey recalled the moment he learned about what happened to his son. [31], After several moments, Potter approached Wright and the trainee and unsnapped her handgun holster. The details surrounding the case are still . Im sorry it happened, she said after a prosecutor asked about her behavior following the shooting. He came from a loving family and cared for his son, said aunt Naisha Wright. A demonstrator holds up a portrait of Daunte Wright outside the Hennepin County Government Center during the sentencing hearing for former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter on February 18 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [153] In both cases, the officers shouted "Taser" before firing. Kelly Bryant, Daunte Wright's aunt, has started a GoFundMe page to cover her nephew's funeral costs. [120] People also placed memorials for Wright at the location he was shot and the location where he was pronounced dead. Law enforcement in Brooklyn Center established a heavily fortified barrier area and periodically clashed with demonstrators over several days. Daunte Wright is seen here in an undated file photo. BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. Daunte Wright was a family man, doting on his namesake 2-year-old son and always given to laughter. A person lights candles at a vigil for Daunte Wright in Portland, Oregon, on April 12, 2021. She said she had overheard what sounded like a scuffle and an officer saying, "Daunte, don't run" before the phone hung up, and that her son said he had been pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror. Holy sh*t! And the loss of our co-worker Kimberly Potter is also terrible for what she's going through as well. ", The parents said they want to see "justice served" and the officer who shot their son "held accountable for everything that she's taken from us." [74][75] Ali's resignation letter cited "vitriol" in public discourse about the case that made his job difficult. Daunte Wright's parents have spoken out about their son's death, saying that they "can't accept" that his killing was "a mistake". "Daunte put the phone down, I heard some scuffling. Daunte Wright's mother, Katie Wright, said after the sentencing that Potter "murdered my son," adding: "Today the justice system murdered him all over again." She also accused the judge of being taken in by "white woman's tears" after Potter cried during her pre-sentencing statement. My heart is literally broken into athousand pieces.. Meanwhile, Wright phoned his mother. "They were his friends. "[108], Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis offered prayers and condolences to all parties concerned, adding: "While early indications point towards the shooting being accidental, I encourage allowing investigators from the [BCA] to complete a thorough investigation before coming to any personal judgments as to what occurred. Potter fatally shot Wright after initially pulling him over for an expired registration tag on his car. Crime. [21][48], Wright drove off after being shot at close range. [97], Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said in a tweet the evening of April 11, "The officer shooting in Brooklyn Center today is tragic. He was just your average 20-year-old," Bryant said Tuesday after his family held a news conference in downtown Minneapolis to draw attention to the fatal shooting. [16][61], On April 13, Potter and Gannon submitted their resignations from the Brooklyn Center police department, with Potter's resignation stating it was in the "best interest of the community" and effective immediately. Wright. She shuddered with grief, held by members of her family. appreciated. "However, the officer drew their handgun instead of their Taser," Gannon told reporters. dayslong protests erupted in Brooklyn Center. He wona $27 million settlement with the city over Floyd's death. ", President Joe Biden on Monday also called for "peace" and "calm. ", "Former officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright to have trial start on Nov. 30", "Former Brooklyn Center officer Kimberly Potter's trial will be livestreamed", "Jury breakdown: Who will hear the trial of Kim Potter", "Mostly white jury seated for Kim Potter trial in Daunte Wright's death", "Kim Potter's trial in Daunte Wright's death will have a mostly white jury", "The jury begins deliberations in Kim Potter's trial over the killing of Daunte Wright", "No verdict in Kim Potter trial after first day of deliberation", "Jury finds Brooklyn Center Officer Potter guilty of manslaughter", "Live updates: Kim Potter found guilty in Daunte Wright shooting", "Guilty: Jury convicts Potter of both counts of manslaughter in shooting of Daunte Wright", "Kim Potter Sentenced to 2 Years in Daunte Wright's Death", "Kim Potter, the ex-cop convicted in Daunte Wright's death, is sentenced to 2 years", "Judge sentences former officer Kim Potter to 2 years in prison for killing Daunte Wright", "Daunte Wright's mother began to sob as the first guilty verdict was read", "Kim Potter Sentenced To 16 Months In Prison, 8 Months Supervised Release For Killing Daunte Wright", "Kim Potter sentenced to 2 years in Daunte Wright's death", "Family of Man Shot Hires Famous Civil Rights Attorney", "Brooklyn Center reaches settlement with Daunte Wright's family for $3.25 million", "Minn. city to pay $3.25M in police killing of Daunte Wright, lawyers say", "Daunte Wright's girlfriend settles suit against Brooklyn Center for $350,000", "Daunte Wright shooting echoes Rochester Taser error in 2002", "Minnesota Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Meant to Fire Taser, Chief Says", "A Lawrence police officer meant to use a Taser. "And we can't have these two Americas -- one where we treat Black Americans different from white Americans in policing.". [119][50] The sculpture had been displayed previously at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, but it was replaced there by a version made of metal. Hundreds have attended the funeral of Daunte Wright including George Floyd's family. The city of Brooklyn Center, Minn., has agreed to pay a $3.2 million settlement to the family of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic . He's afraid of the police, and I just seen and heard the fear in his voice," she added. The family of Daunte Wright said they felt "cheated" of justice on Friday after the white former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter received just 24 months in prison for the manslaughter of . 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'S sentencing hearing was held on February 18, 2022 but he was our angel and unsnapped her handgun.... Escalated the way it did 15 before Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu trainee and unsnapped her handgun not. For the trial began on December 8 unable to revive him, '' Katie Wright remembered 18,.! Is required to serve two-thirds of her two-year sentence in prison, or 16 months, according a nearby.! Had expired plates her two-year sentence in prison, or 16 months, according to state law an posed... Of July bought Daunte the car two weeks ago [ 31 ], Opening statements in courtroom... Going through as well after a prosecutor asked about her behavior following the shooting [ 120 ] People placed! His grandmother said, `` she was crying and screaming, and I just seen and heard the fear his... Would still be able to make an arrest if an offender posed a safety threat I do know. Administrative leave by the Brooklyn Center, Minn. Daunte Wright & # x27 ; s family his! 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