MINNEAPOLIS — The sixth day of the manslaughter case against former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter included testimony Wednesday from a trainer for the department saying that he's heard of instances when someone meant to grab their Taser and drew their firearm instead.
Central to the first- and second-degree manslaughter case against Potter in the shooting of Daunte Wright is that, despite her training, she mistakenly grabbed her handgun from her right hip instead of her Taser from her left and shot 20-year-old Wright on April 11 as he resisted arrest during a traffic stop. Potter yelled "Taser" multiple times at Wright before firing.
Wednesday's proceedings in Hennepin County District Court started with continued testimony from Sgt. Michael Peterson, who trains Brooklyn Center police officers about Taser use and other matters.
Under defense questioning, Peterson agreed that a Taser can be employed for many of the circumstances that Potter faced when trying to arrest Wright in April.
If someone is trying to get back in a car, "that person can be tased?" defense attorney Paul Engh asked. Peterson said yes. The sergeant gave the same answer for when someone is being violent and resisting arrest.
Peterson on Wednesday, in answers to defense questions, also acknowledged that the Taser manufacturer warns its buyers that the device can be confused with a handgun.
"Otherwise, why warn you?" Engh said. "Mistakes can happen?" Peterson said yes.
"There have been confusions?" Engh said. Peterson said there have been "several" that he's been aware of occurring.
Prosecutor Matthew Frank countered by asking Peterson how many of those incidents, and the sergeant said he did not know and has never pulled his gun when meaning to grab his Taser. On Tuesday, Peterson said he could not remember any other officer firing a handgun when meaning to deploy a Taser, either on duty or during a role-playing scenario.
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