Watch live as Kim Potter goes on trial over Daunte Wright killing
Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, 49, appeared in court on Wednesday as opening arguments began 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.
At the crux of the prosecution’s opening was the assertion that Ms Potter “betrayed her badge” and displayed recklessness and negligence when she shot Wright after drawing her gun instead of a taser. The court was shown photos of the jacket Wright was wearing, which was covered in blood.
In its opening, the defence sought to cast blame on Wright, suggesting that he wouldn’t have been shot if he’d listened to Ms Potter’s demands. Attorney Paul Engh asserted that Ms Potter went to tase Wright because “he was going to kill her partner”.
As for her pulling the gun instead of the taser, Mr Engh said: “She made a mistake. This is an accident. She is a human being.”
Wright’s mother, Katie Bryant, took the stand for the defence and broke down in tears as she described her last phone call with her son.
A jury of 14, a majority of whom are white, will hear the case and consider charges of first degree and second degree manslaughter.
