BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Prosecutors in suburban Minneapolis on Wednesday charged the officer who shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright with second-degree manslaughter, a swift move that left some in the community questioning why the charges weren’t more harsh.
Officials from the Washington County Attorney’s Office announced the charge against Kim Potter, who a day earlier resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. The veteran officer was arrested and booked into jail, where she is being held without bail. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Ten miles from where Potter shot Wright in Brooklyn Center, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of George Floyd, whose neck he kneeled on for more than nine minutes.
Imran Ali, Washington County assistant criminal division chief and director of the Major Crime Unit, said in a statement about the charge against Potter, “Certain occupations carry an immense responsibility, and none more so than a sworn police officer.”
“With that responsibility comes a great deal of discretion and accountability. We will vigorously prosecute this case and intend to prove that Officer Potter abrogated her responsibility to protect the public when she used her firearm rather than her taser,” the statement said.
“While we appreciate that the district attorney is pursuing justice for Daunte, no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back,” said Benjamin Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the family. “This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate and unlawful use of force. Driving while Black continues to result in a death sentence.”
Prominent local civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong assailed the charge filed against Potter, who was training other Brooklyn Center police officers during the incident.
“The fact that she was a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the fact that she was a field training officer means that she had a heightened sense of training and authority,” Armstrong said. “And responsibility which means she should have a heightened sense of accountability. It makes no sense to charge her with lesser charges than the average person would face if they claimed to have mistakenly used a gun instead of a Taser.”
Potter shot Wright, an unarmed Black man, during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon.
Police body-camera footage showed officers attempting to arrest Wright because of an outstanding warrant. Wright breaks free from the officers, hops back into his car and drives off after the officer fires. What appears to be a woman’s voice shouts, “Taser, Taser, Taser,” before a single gunshot is fired.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned from the department Tuesday. Gannon said Potter intended to use a Taser, not a firearm.
In the days since the shooting, protests have blanketed much of the Twin Cities area. A curfew has been in effect for several nights.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott has called for calm in the city.
“Daunte Wright’s death will not be exploited,” he said on social media. “Some outside elements may be planning to show up to infiltrate peaceful protesters and cause mayhem, we will not allow that. We ask folks to protest peacefully.”
The charges are being filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office. Although Brooklyn Center is in Hennepin County, that county’s attorney’s office referred the case to Washington County under an agreement used for cases involving police killings.
On Wednesday, hours after Potter’s arrest, a mix of emotions came from this community lined with single-level homes and manicured lawns.
Prince Wehye, 35, stood gazing at a memorial for Wright where a large wooden fist stood surrounded by flowers, balloons and LED candles. He’d been there by himself, at the corner of 63rd Street North and Kathrene Drive in Brooklyn Center, for nearly an hour.
“It’s about accountability,” Wehye said when asked about the charge against Potter. “This is just a slap in the wrist. It’s like a formula, and I’m sick of it, really sick of it.”
On his lunch break from work, Lamark Taylor, 52, parked his car and walked over to the makeshift memorial. Wright’s shooting made him think of his own children, who are 18 and 19.
“Well at least they’re charging her,” Taylor said. “I’m thankful for that. We’ll see what happens later on.”
Across from the Brooklyn Center Police Department, Emily Johnson stood on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign with the last names of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, George Floyd and Wright, along with the words “This is MN.” All four are Black men who were killed by police in the Twin Cities area.
“I’m pleasantly surprised that there were charges,” said Johnson, 33, a white woman who is a social worker at a nearby school. “But, yeah, still feeling like it’s not enough. These are just charges. We’re seeing that with the Chauvin trial — how much more damage will be done?”
In downtown Minneapolis, the defense for former Officer Chauvin presented its case for a second day. The trial could go to jurors by early next week.
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(Lee is a Times staff writer, and Ganguli is a special correspondent.)
