Watch live as Kim Potter goes on trial over Daunte Wright killing
Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, 49, will appear in court on Wednesday as opening arguments are made in her trial for the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was killed during a traffic stop in April in the city of Brooklyn Center.
Ms Potter will reportedly say that she grabbed the wrong weapon when she shot Mr Wright, believing a firearm was a taser. She could be heard shouting in a video of the encounter, “Taser! Taser! Taser!” and then: “Holy s***, I just shot him”.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Potter “consciously and intentionally acted in choosing to use force on Daunte Wright and in reaching for, drawing, pointing, and manipulating a weapon”. Her ability to tell the difference between a taser and a firearm, as an officer of more than 25 years, are expected to be debated in court.
A jury of 14, a majority of whom are white, will hear the case and consider charges of first degree and second degree manslaughter. Prosecutors will meanwhile seek a longer sentence than the seven years under Minnesota sentencing law.
The proceedings will play out in the courtroom where another Minnesota police officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted for killing another Black man, George Floyd. Both deaths ignited public anger.
