Yet Another Officer-Involved Shooting Increases Tensions in Minnesota

Daunte Wright (pictured on the left), was unarmed when Officer Kim Potter (pictured on the right) shot him in the chest during a routine traffic stop gone unthinkably wrong. Source: Getty Images

As the trial of Derek Chauvin – the Minneapolis police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd – continued in its third week, Daunte Wright, a Black man, was fatally shot by police in Brooklyn Center, Missouri – just minutes away from the Chauvin trial and where George Floyd died. 

The incident occurred on April 11th, when Officer Kim Potter of the Brooklyn Center Police Department – a 26 year veteran of the force and responsible for training new recruits – fatally wounded Daunte Wright after shooting him as he fled officers in his vehicle. A recording of the shooting through the officer’s body camera has been released; in the recording Officer Porter can be heard shouting, “Taser, Taser, Taser” before shooting Wright. After firing her weapon, Officer Porter can be heard saying, “s —, I just shot him!” realizing she had not fired the Taser.  

The event has sparked many questions as to why Wright was pulled over to begin with and how an officer could mistake a firearm for a Taser? According to the Brooklyn Center Police Department, officers stopped Wright due to expired tags and then realized there was a warrant for his arrest. Officers proceeded to arrest Wright, however, he resisted, jumped into his car and attempted to flee, at which point, Officer Potter fatally shot him; Wright managed to flee but crashed a few blocks later as a result of his injury. 

The question that remains to be answered is how a 26 year veteran of the police force, responsible for training new recruits, could make this mistake? The handgun Officer Potter mistook for a Taser was a Glock — it is difficult to conceive how a mistake like this could happen considering a Glock is all black and weighs almost a pound more than a brightly-colored neon Taser. Despite the distinction, this is not the first incident involving an officer mistaking a firearm for a Taser, in fact at least three similar incidents have occurred and been reported.  

Following the shooting, Officer Potter announced she would resign from the force stating it would be “in the best interest of the community, my department, and my fellow officers.” Resignation is not sufficient for some in the community, as tension is already high due to the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, prompting many to flood the streets outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department and protest. Protesters have reportedly thrown fireworks and bottles at police who responded with teargas; additionally around 20 businesses nearby have been broken into. In response, the Minnesota National Guard has been deployed. 

Prosecutors have reviewed the evidence and announced they are charging Officer Potter with second-degree manslaughter; in 2009, an officer in San Francisco was convicted of involuntary manslaughter due to shooting a Black man under similar conditions. Nonetheless, this is not the first time Officer Potter has been involved in a fatal shooting; in 2019, officers from the Brooklyn Center Police Department shot a Black autistic man after he lunged at them. It is reported that Officer Potter told officers to turn off their body cameras. 

Officer Potter posted a $100,000 bond allowing for her release and will not appear in court again until May 17th. If convicted, she will serve no more than 10 years, as this is the maximum sentence.