From [HERE] Kimberly Potter, the former Brooklyn Center, Minn., police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April, was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter by a Hennepin County jury on Thursday. The jury was mostly white.

Ms. Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, testified that she thought she had drawn her stun gun when she shot the 20-year-old in the chest with her 9mm handgun. She betrayed little emotion as the verdict was read.

The jury had deliberated for around 28 hours over four days, following nine days of testimony and arguments. 

Ms. Potter could face up to 15 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and up to 10 years in prison for second-degree manslaughter. On the first-degree count, the jury found Ms. Potter guilty of taking a life while committing another crime, in this case, the reckless handling of a firearm. The second-degree verdict represented the jury finding Ms. Potter culpably negligent for the killing.

Defense lawyers said they planned to argue for a reduced sentence, citing Ms. Potter’s long record of public service and lack of prior charges. They also asked the judge to allow her to remain on bail ahead of sentencing.

“She’s not going to run, she’s obviously not going to commit any more crimes,” lawyer Earl Gray told the judge shortly after the verdict. “She’s been convicted of an accident.”

Judge Regina Chu said she couldn’t handle Ms. Potter’s case differently than any other and ordered her into custody pending sentencing, which was set for Feb. 18. Ms. Potter had been free on $100,000 in bail. 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, thanked the jury and noted that the verdict wouldn’t restore Mr. Wright’s life, but it did represent a degree of accountability. “Accountability is an important step, a critical, necessary step on the road to justice for us all,” he said.

In closing arguments on Monday, prosecutors argued that Ms. Potter should be found guilty for her reckless actions. “What this case is really about is about an officer who mishandled her firearm,” said prosecutor Erin Eldridge, an assistant attorney general for the state of Minnesota. She urged jurors not to speculate or “get sucked down into that rabbit hole of hypotheticals and misdirection.”

According to the criminal complaint

On April 11, 2021, around 1:53 p.m., Brooklyn Center Police Officer Anthony Luckey and his Field Training Officer, Defendant KIMBERLY ANN POTTER (DOB: 06/18/1972) conducted a traffic stop on a white Buick bearing Minnesota license plate 841UBY near 63rd Avenue North and Orchard Avenue North in Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Officer Luckey identified the driver as Daunte Demetrius Wright. There was also an adult female passenger in the front passenger seat. Officer Luckey informed Mr. Wright that the officers stopped him because the vehicle had an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror and the tabs on the Buick were expired. Officer Luckey returned to his squad car to conduct a record check for Mr. Wright, during which he learned that Mr. Wright had an outstanding arrest warrant for a gross misdemeanor weapons violation. As Officer Luckey ran these checks, Sergeant Mychal Johnson arrived to assist the officers. Officer Luckey and Defendant then re-approached the driver’s side of the Buick to arrest Mr. Wright on the warrant. Sergeant Johnson approached the passenger side of the vehicle.

According to time stamped BWC footage, at 2:01:11 p.m., Officer Luckey asked Mr. Wright to step out of the vehicle. Mr. Wright opened the door of the Buick at 2:01:22 p.m. and got out of the Buick at 2:01:30 p.m. At 2:01:31, Officer Luckey asked Mr. Wright to turn around and place his hands behind his back. Mr. Wright did so. Officer Luckey then began attempting to handcuff Mr. Wright. At 2:01:36 p.m., Sergeant Johnson told Mr. Wright that he was under arrest and at 2:01:39 p.m., Defendant added that Mr. Wright had a warrant.

At 2:01:43 p.m., Officer Luckey told Mr. Wright not to tense up. At that time, Officer Luckey and Mr. Wright were standing near the open driver’s side door of the Buick. Defendant was standing behind and to the right of Officer Luckey. Defendant walked up to Mr. Wright at 2:01:45 p.m. and, at 2:01:48 p.m., took a piece of paper from Mr. Wright’s hand using her left hand. Defendant immediately transferred the paper to her right hand. At 2:01:49 p.m., Mr. Wright pulled away from Officer Luckey and got back into the driver’s compartment of the Buick. Officer Luckey maintained a grip on Mr. Wright, to keep physical control of him so as to pull Mr. Wright back out of the Buick. Sergeant Johnson, who was on the other side of the vehicle, leaned inside the Buick through the passenger door.

At 2:01:55 p.m., Defendant stated, “I’ll tase ya,” and simultaneously moved the piece of paper she was holding from her right hand to her left hand. One second later, at 2:01:56 p.m., Defendant’s right hand, holding her department-issued Glock 9mm handgun, came into view of her BWC. Defendant pointed her handgun at Mr. Wright and tracked with Mr. Wright’s movements as he and Officer Luckey continued moving. Defendant again announced, “I’ll tase you,” at 2:01:58 p.m. and continued pointing her handgun at Mr. Wright.

At 2:02:00 p.m., Defendant said, “Taser, Taser, Taser.” Sergeant Johnson and Officer Luckey both immediately began disengaging from Mr. Wright. One second later, at 02:02:01 p.m., Defendant pulled the trigger and discharged her handgun one time, firing a single round of ammunition. The bullet entered the left side of Mr. Wright’s chest and sequentially perforated the left 6th rib and 5th intercostal muscles, left lung, pericardium, heart, pericardium once again, right lung, and right 4th intercostal muscles before partially exiting the right chest wall, perforating the skin, and becoming lodged in the right side of Mr. Wright’s chest. When she fired the handgun, Defendant was standing outside the driver’s side door and in close proximity to Officer Luckey. Defendant’s handgun was just inches below Officer Luckey’s arm pointing into the driver’s compartment of the Buick, in the direction of Mr. Wright, the passenger, and Sergeant Johnson. Defendant fired her handgun close to Officer Luckey’s face, and the discharged cartridge casing from Defendant’s handgun appeared to strike Officer Luckey in the face as it was ejected. At 2:02:02 p.m., Mr. Wright said, “Ah, he shot me.” The Buick then traveled short distance down the street, where it crashed into another vehicle. Defendant stated at 2:02:03 p.m., “Shit!” and at 2:02:05 p.m., “I just shot him.” Another officer asked, “you did?” and Defendant responded, “yes.” At 2:02:09 p.m., Defendant stated, “I grabbed the wrong fucking gun,” and repeated again, “I shot him.” At 2:03:09 p.m., Defendant stated, “I’m going to go to prison.” At 2:07:27, Defendant stated, “I killed a boy.” Other officers and paramedics responded. Medical personnel were unable to revive Mr. Wright and Mr. Wright was pronounced dead on scene at 2:18 p.m. Assistant Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Lorren Jackson later conducted an autopsy and determined Mr. Wright’s cause of death to be a gunshot wound and deemed the manner of death a homicide.