On Sunday afternoon, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The cause of death was a single gunshot to the chest from former officer Kim Potter. We have all of the up to date details about the case right here.
Daunte Wright had been originally pulled over for a traffic violation regarding expired registration tags. It was at that time when the officers found out there was a warrant out for Wright’s arrest. According to former police chief Tim Gannon, Wright then tried to step back into his car while the officers attempted to detain him. He managed to get back into his car and began to pull away. Body camera footage would go on to show former officer Potter pull out her handgun and aim it at Wright, shouting, “Taser.” She then yelled an obscenity and fired one shot. The car crashed a few blocks away, and Wright was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was later confirmed to be a single bullet wound to the chest.
Former police chief Gannon and former officer Potter later stated that the gunshot was accidental, and that Potter meant to fire her taser, not the handgun. However, this didn’t satisfy anyone, as pressure began to mount for the former officer to be charged for Wright’s death. On Tuesday, before charges had even been announced against Potter, both Tim Gannon and Kim Potter resigned from the force. The charges were officially announced on Wednesday morning, with Potter facing second-degree manslaughter.
In the days leading up to Potter’s arrest, people protested at the Brooklyn Center Police Department. These protests occurred three nights in a row, and they didn’t remain completely peaceful, despite pleas from Wright’s family. Bricks and cans were thrown at officers, and businesses were broken into, including about 20 at a nearby mall. Mike Elliott, the mayor of Brooklyn Center, put a curfew in place starting on Sunday night that was only supposed to last until Monday morning. However, with the continuing protests, the curfew has been continuously reinstated each night since. Police have also arrested at least 60 people, as the nightly protests have now been officially considered unlawful. A barrier has been set up around the police department headquarters in order to keep protesters away from the building. Police have stated that there were attempts from protesters to break the barrier down, but they were unsuccessful.
This situation is not over yet. Unrest continues to resonate throughout Brooklyn Center, and more protests could lie ahead. Beyond that, former officer Potter is set to have her first court appearance today. To get all of the updated information on these proceedings, and more, then make sure to follow our articles here on Blind Boys Politics.
