Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly Potter Convicted of First and Second Degree Manslaughter

(KNSI) — Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter has been found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter.

The jury got the case Monday afternoon following closing arguments. Tuesday, the jury came back and asked what to do if they are unable to come to a unanimous decision. Judge Regina Chu who is overseeing the case responded by re-reading a portion of the jury instructions given to them Monday afternoon that said they must keep working to come to a consensus, cautioning jurors to hold on to their positions, but “should not hesitate to re-examine your views and change your opinion” if they become convinced they are “erroneous, but you should not surrender your honest opinion” just to reach a verdict.

The jury said it reached a guilty verdict for second-degree manslaughter at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 21st. The guilty verdict for first-degree manslaughter was reached at 11:40 a.m. Thursday, December 23rd.

Potter was charged with first and second-degree manslaughter for the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright after he became uncooperative and tried to flee a traffic stop on April 11^th. Potter, now 49, broke down on the stand during testimony saying she was sorry and she didn’t want to hurt anybody.

Wright was stopped for suspicious blinker usage, along with having expired tabs on his car and an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. On the stand, Potter testified that if she were alone, she would not have stopped Wright’s car, but she was training a new officer who wanted to stop him. Bodycam footage of the shooting shows officers trying to get Wright into custody after they learned he had a warrant out for his arrest. She said because of the warrant, they were required to take him into custody.

Potter said on the stand that another officer was trying to reach into the car to turn it off and prevent Wright from driving away. She said he had a “Look of fear on his face. One I had never seen before.” She said the scene then became “chaotic.” She is also heard warning Wright, “I’m going to tase you!” before shouting “Taser! Taser! Taser!” and firing her handgun. Wright is then seen collapsing into his car and driving away from the scene, crashing a few blocks away.

Bodycam footage also shows Potter saying, “Holy s**t! I just shot him! I grabbed the wrong f****** gun and I shot him. I’m going to prison. I killed that boy.” She was also shown lying on the ground sobbing. Testimony from other officers who were at the scene that day said they were concerned Potter was so upset and distraught she was going to hurt herself.

Her defense attorneys asked for her to stay out of jail until sentencing, but Judge Chu disagreed and Potter was taken into custody immediately.

Potter is now facing up to 15 years in prison. She will be sentenced on February 18th.

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