May 19, 2021
Officer Who Shot and Killed Daunte Wright Faces Trial on December 6
A judge on Monday ruled that a trial could proceed regarding the death of Daunte Wright, saying there was probable cause in the case to support charges against the officer.
In a virtual conference, Hennepin County District Judge Regina Chu said Kimberly Potter, the officer who shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop after mistaking her gun for a Taser, could have a trial underway, the Associated Press reported.
Dec. 6 will be the tentative trial date for the trial.
It was on April 14, three days after the shooting, that Potter was charged over the killing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The 48-year-old officer, a 26-year veteran on the force, resigned on April 13. The Brooklyn Center Police chief Tim Gannon also resigned the same day citing the backlash from the community forced him out.
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Potter had several mishaps on the force that some say suggests that she should have been fired.
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“I do find that there’s probable cause to support the charge against the defendant, Ms. Potter,” Chu said.
In the year 2000, Potter was given a four-hour suspension after she missed an in-person training. In 2007, Potter was given a verbal reprimand for her work as part of a team looking into violent robberies in part of the city. In the write-up, a supervisor accused Potter of not doing enough to make direct contact with people in the area.
Potter was also disciplined for a number of on-the-job driving mishaps in 1995, 1996, and 1998. The latest findings point to a possible argument against Potter and the debated issue on whether or not police officers have been properly trained to combat issues, particularly with people of color.
However, Potter received a commendation involving a 2007 incident with a suicidal man and his 2-year-old daughter, and a few reprimands for driving mishaps.