- Kim Potter, 49, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter in the April shooting.
- Potter’s testimony follows six days of evidence in the state’s case.
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright while yelling “Taser” in a traffic-stop-turned-arrest isexpected to take the witness stand Friday in her manslaughter trial.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Regina Chu told jurors Thursday they were “almost done” and that the defense had two witnesses left. During jury selection, Kim Potter informed the court she intended to testify, and one of her defense attorneys told jurors they would hear from her during trial.
Potter, 49, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter in the April shooting in a Minneapolis suburb. The 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department quit two days after the shooting, along with the police chief. She was arrested the next day.
Prosecutors say Potter was “reckless” and consciously took the risk of causing harm to Wright and others, despite years of training on Tasers and firearms. Prosecutors also say Potter abused her position of authority and caused a “greater than normal danger” to the safety of Wright’s passenger, other officers and civilians on the street – aggravating factors prosecutors say warrant a tougher sentence.
‘I MISS HIM’:Daunte Wright’s father tells jury about his son in Kim Potter trial
Defense attorneys say Potter made an “innocent mistake.” They also say Potter would have been justified in using a firearm because she was attempting to prevent Wright from injuring another officer as Wright fled the arrest, which is a felony. After Wright was shot, he crashed his car into an oncoming vehicle down the street, injuring his girlfriend in the passenger seat and two people in the other car.
Jurors heard from several defense witnesses Thursday, including expert witness Stephen Ijames, a former Missouri police officer. Ijames said Potter’s use of a Taser would have been consistent with police training and that the use of deadly force would have been justified if Potter believed another officer was inside the vehicle and at risk of being dragged.
Asked if the officer in question, based on his review of the evidence, was outside the vehicle at the time Potter fired her weapon, Ijames said the officer was “probably more out than in.”
Timothy Gannon, the former police chief, testified he was once dragged by a vehicle and felt “sheer terror.” He said he resigned the same day as Potter because he would not immediately fire her, as he saw no violations of “policy, procedure or law” when he watched Potter’s body camera video.
Jurors also heard from several character witnesses who testified Potter had a reputation for being law-abiding and peaceful in the community and among law enforcement. One, an officer who said she considered Potter a mentor and friend, appeared to become emotional while testifying. Wright’s mother and a woman Potter later referred to as “mom” sat in the courtroom during the testimony.
‘I TRIED TO SCREAM HIS NAME’:Girlfriend recalls moment Kim Potter shot Daunte Wright
Testimony for the defense came after the state rested its case Thursday morning. Over the course of six days, jurors saw dozens of bodycam and dashcam videos and heard from eye witnesses, local and state law enforcement officers, medical examiners, and an expert on the use of force. Wright’s mother, father and girlfriend all testified.
Jurors took notes as witnesses held up Tasers in the courtroom and, prompted by prosecutors, demonstrated the differences between a Taser and a firearm. The panel also sat through hours of testimony on Brooklyn Center Police Department policy and Taser training and use guidelines.
The manslaughter charges do not require prosecutors to prove that Potter intended to kill Wright. The first-degree charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine, and the second-degree charge has a maximum sentence of 10 years and/or a $20,000 fine. The judge will rule on the aggravating factors.
Wright’s death happened in the midst of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, later convicted of murdering George Floyd. The shooting amplified local tensions and fueled a nationwide movement against police brutality and the treatment of Black people in the U.S. Potter is white, while Wright was Black.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and members of the families of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake Jr. have stood alongside Wright’s family outside the Hennepin County Government Center during the trial.
WHO’S ON THE JURY? 14 people hearing evidence in trial of former officer charged in Daunte Wright’s death
Twelve jurors and two alternates are hearing evidence in the case, which is being livestreamed. The jury of 12 is 75% white. About 68% of Hennepin County residents are non-Hispanic white, nearly 14% are Black, 7.5% are Asian, and 7% are Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
