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THE FORMER POLICE officer who shot dead 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb after appearing to mistake her gun for her Taser was arrested today and will face manslaughter charges, officials said.
“Agents took Kim Potter into custody at approximately 11.30 am,” the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in a statement, adding that second-degree manslaughter charges would be filed later in the day.
Minneapolis has been roiled by nights of violent protests after Kim Potter, who is white, opened fire on Wright in his car on Sunday.
Racial tensions were already high in the US midwestern city as it hosts the trial of the white policeman charged with murdering George Floyd, whose death touched off a national reckoning over racial injustice.
Potter, a 26-year police veteran who resigned after Wright’s death, faces a maximum of 10 years in jail if convicted of second-degree manslaughter.
She was taken into custody at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in the neighbouring city of St Paul.
“While we appreciate that the district attorney is pursuing justice for Daunte, no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back,” said the Wrights’ family lawyer Ben Crump after the arrest.
“This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force.
“We will keep fighting for justice for Daunte, for his family, and for all marginalized people of colour. And we will not stop until there is meaningful policing and justice reform.”
Protesters faced off with police for a third night Tuesday, with more than 60 people arrested, law enforcement officials said.
Riot police moved in to disperse demonstrators estimated at between 800 and 1,000 in Brooklyn Center, the suburb where Sunday’s shooting took place.
Officers deployed stun grenades while protesters responded by throwing objects including water bottles and bricks.
‘Can’t breathe’
The judge presiding over the trial of Derek Chauvin denied a defense motion on Wednesday to acquit him of murder and manslaughter charges for the death of Floyd.
Chauvin, who is white, was seen in a video taken by a bystander kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as the handcuffed 46-year-old complained repeatedly that he “can’t breathe.”
Defence attorney Eric Nelson said prosecutors had failed to prove their case against the 45-year-old Chauvin beyond a reasonable doubt and he should be acquitted.
The motion is a standard request in criminal trials at the end of the presentation of the prosecution case and it was rejected by Judge Peter Cahill.
The video of Floyd’s 25 May 2020 arrest sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and around the world.
Medical experts called by the prosecution said Floyd’s death was caused by a “low level of oxygen” from the neck restraint and not due to drugs or pre-existing conditions.
Nelson asked the judge on Monday to sequester the jury after protests following the police killing of Wright.
The judge denied the request and said the jury would be sequestered after closing arguments, which are expected next week.
On Tuesday the families of Wright and Floyd demanded an end to police brutality and the killing of unarmed African Americans by white officers.
“The world is traumatized watching another African American man being slain,” Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd said, as he stood with Wright’s relatives outside the trial courthouse.
Chyna Whitaker, the mother of Wright’s one-year-old son, and Wright’s own mother Katie Wright spoke emotionally about the last times they talked with or saw Daunte.
“I’m just so messed up about it, because I feel like they stole my son’s dad from him,” Whitaker said.
Body camera footage showed officers pulling Wright out of his car after stopping him for a traffic violation and discovering he had an outstanding warrant.
When officers attempt to handcuff Wright, he scuffles with them and gets back in the car. A female police officer shouts, “Taser! Taser! Taser!” but a gunshot is then heard.
President Joe Biden called the killing “tragic” but urged calm as authorities conduct an investigation.
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The airport is a public place. Stuff the DAA.
No, the airport is an operational workplace! If thousands of extra people suddenly appeared where exactly would they go?
The slightest bit of congestion could ruin the operation at the airport and inconvenience thousands!
Save this sort of thing for dedicated public spaces where it can be safely controlled!
The Airport doesn’t have to be congested for the operation to be ruined, DAA run it, its long ruined by them busy or not
:-)
Have you been to the airport lately.the Daa have done a brilliant job. What major international airport do you no that takes 20 mins to get through security?
20 minutes on a really really really good day, 50 mins to an hour every other day
@Connor.
How is this the DAA fault.If team Ireland don’t want a fuss made of today when they come home that’s there choice.All the DAA are saying is don’t come out to the airport as you won’t get to see team Ireland as there more then likely going through VIP.I’m sure if it was an official home coming the DAA would pull out all the flags and escort the plane in with the airport fire service.
@Jason, The reason it takes 20mins to get through the airport is because we now have 2 terminals and less passengers going through the airport when we had one terminal!
I think the Irish public should take on this attitude next time they are thinking of supporting their athletes. DON’T !!!!!! This whole thing stinks and has been well blown out of proportion
Me,me,me, it’s all about me. What about the atheletes and their families?
Let them go home to their friends and families first and organise something properly after they have had a rest.
They are supposed to be inspiring for the next generation of athletes who will go on to represent Ireland. They were part funded by the Irish people to represent the Irish people. They will have the next 4 years to spend time with their family.
Also if you read the articles on this properly it seems that the athletes were not consented about a homecoming and it boils down to officials messing around. What the hell is the point in spending 4 years training to be a part of these games if your just going to come home and hide away. reaching the Olympics and representing your country is defiantly something to celebrate, and brining home 5 medals is the icing on top of the cake. Now lets all eat that cake,
Part funded Simon?
I suppose – if by “part” you basicly mean “the smallest amount you could imagine”.
If you win a gold medal in the Olympics in shooting, for example, congrats – you’ll get a grant the next year for all of 30k. In a sport where a full competitive year will cost between 100k and 120k. And you’ll have to put in several of those years to win the medal first. And the year *after* you get the 30k? You don’t get 30k, because you didn’t win a gold medal in the Olympics the year before (yes, despite there not having been an Olympics).
One of these days, someone’s going to actually look at the levels of support our international athletes get compared to what they need, and report it; and it’ll cause a few days of outrage before it’s forgotten and the Irish Sports Council continues to hamstring its best staff and make a hames of sport in this country.
Well Mark, “part funding” is part funding in any form, even if its just for €1, but with profiling like this then no one will want to take up any sport, and thus funding will not be increased. A few hours out of their life to parade in front of their supporters (who roared louder than a jumbo jet at take off in the excel), and give them inspiration to follow in their foot steps. And as I said before this was more to do with incompetence of organisers rather than the athlete’s.
Give a euro, get to tell them they’re failures for not winning a Gold with that euro? You working for the Indo or something Simon? :D
An open top bus, in Bray, in this weather?
Sounds ideal.
weather is to be lovely later so it must be true i just heard it on tv3 lol
TV3 Haha ha :-)
Ben you are the voice of common sense and reason. But then whenever did the mob listen to either?
Typical bloody Irish..Why does something so exciting and uplifting have to be caught up in a debate about where we can and should go to applaud these truely inspiring people…
It’s all part of a new government plan to tax misery.
RTE seem to making a real “controversy” out of this. Must be their groupthink mentality in full force.
The athletes don’t want it and I don’t think the public are that bothered. It’s not that they don’t appreciate them it’s just that there’s no need for this kind of malarky. Let the individual communities welcome them home if they wish.
Also as somebody else pointed out, the protocol is to do homecomings after the para olympics. That’s what Team GB and NI are doing.
I’m not sure if people get the message from the Olympians: they do NOT want a ceremony. Sometimes it’s best to respect ones wish. Something the Irish people are stubborn and oblivious to.
no that’s what the media have told you to hide the real fact that there arguing over who will foot the bill
Once our politicians get involved it will always be a cock up.
Do they deserve it?
Methinks not!
Except the boxers and they will enjoy local celebrations more.
Could they not handle a few more hours to let the people who supported them welcome them home. People should boycott Wednesdays event.
I think an organised celebration is the way to go and the athletes can have their local homecomings too. Dublin airport is not suitable really for a mass gathering like after Euro 88, USA 94. It would cause logistical problems. These things need some organising and the crowd expected would be an issue. Then again after 96 there wasn’t too many on O Connell st for Michelle, it was lashing rain I know. However this time I sincerely feel we have been caught unawares by our success and the interest arising has been phenomenal.
i understand they’re all probably gagging to get home to their families/friends, but Katie in particular received a huge amount of support from the Irish public. You just had to listen to the wonderful singing in the arena to know that. It would have been nice for the public to see her arrive home (as well as our other boxing medalists).
Wednesday will be a bit anticlimactic in my opinion.
Is John Delaney in charge of this? Sounds very familiar.
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