The Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop intended to use her Taser but instead fired her handgun, resulting in his “tragic death,” according to the police chief.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon played police bodycam footage at a Monday press conference and said that based on what he observed, the female officer who shot the 20-year-old Black man did so accidentally.
“As I watched the video and listened to the officer’s commands, it’s my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet,” Chief Gannon said. “This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officer’s reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
The shooting Sunday came after Mr. Wright was pulled over for an expired registration tag on the white Buick he was driving.
During the stop, Chief Gannon said that officers noticed that the vehicle had an air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror, which is prohibited, and after running his license, discovered that Mr. Wright had an outstanding warrant on a gross misdemeanor.
Mr. Wright had exited the vehicle as officers sought to take him into custody when he suddenly jumped back into the car.
“It appeared to me from the video that the individual was trying to get back into his car to leave,” Chief Gannon said.
The officer’s gun went off in what Chief Gannon called an apparently “accidental discharge,” and the car drove off slowly before hitting another vehicle. Mr. Wright died at the scene, while a female passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
After Mr. Wright reentered the vehicle, the officer could be held shouting, “‘Taser, Taser,” which Chief Gannon described as “part of the officer’s training prior to deploying a Taser, which is a less-lethal device.”
“That is done to make her partners aware, as well as the subject, that a Taser deployment will be imminent. During this encounter, however, the officer drew their handgun instead of their Taser,” the chief said.
He said that “we train with our handguns on our dominant side and our Taser on our weak side. So if you’re right-handed, you carry your firearm on your right side, and you carry your Taser on the left. This is done purposefully, and it’s trained.”
Mr. Wright’s death in the Minneapolis suburb spurred protests, rioting and looting that night, resulting in the destruction of about 20 businesses and prompting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to mobilize the National Guard.
The chief said that the officer, whose name was not disclosed, has been placed on administrative leave, but Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said at the press conference that he would support firing her.
“My position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes to lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession,” Mr. Elliott said. “I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties.”
City manager Curt Boganey said immediately afterward that the officer would receive due process.
“All employees are entitled to due process,” he said. “This employee will receive due process and that’s really all that I can say today.”
The chief said he was unaware of the details behind the misdemeanor, but that no firearm was found in the car.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation into the shooting and Mr. Wright’s death.
