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Police officer who shot Daunte Wright faces new charge of first-degree manslaughter

Minnesota prosecutors filed a more serious charge on Thursday against the former suburban Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, but it is not the murder charge that activists were seeking. (John Minchillo/AP)

A former suburban Minneapolis police officer faces a new, more serious charge of first-degree manslaughter after fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright during an April traffic stop, Minnesota’s top prosecutor announced Thursday.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) alleged that former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter “committed first-degree manslaughter by recklessly handling a firearm” during the April 11 incident. Police claim Potter, who is White, mistook her service weapon for a Taser when she fired at Wright, who is Black. Wright’s family and civil rights activists have roundly rejected the police’s explanation.

Thursday’s new charge falls short of the first-degree murder charge sought by Wright’s family and supporters.

“Prosecute them like they would prosecute us,” Nyesha Wright, the victim’s aunt, said in an April news conference following the shooting. “We want the highest justice.”

Officer Kim Potter resigns: 26-year veteran and former union president fatally shot Daunte Wright, police said

In the weeks after Wright’s killing, activists protested at the home of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, whose office brought a second-degree manslaughter charge against Potter in April. Potter, 44, will still face the existing charge in addition to the one announced Thursday.

Ellison’s office took over prosecution of the case from the Washington County Attorney and pledged to make an independent decision on charges after reviewing the evidence.

“After conducting that review — which included consulting with an expert in police use of force — Attorney General Ellison confirmed that the original second-degree manslaughter charge is appropriate, but also concluded that an upgraded charge of first-degree manslaughter is warranted,” Ellison’s office said in a statement.

Wright’s family was reportedly aware of new charge since Wednesday and were “obviously disappointed” that it fell short of murder, according to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has organized much the support for Wright’s family along with a coalition of local civil rights groups.

Wright’s death this spring unfolded just as attention to police killings of Black people reached an apex both nationally and in Minneapolis: His killing occurred in the midst of the murder trial for ex-Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who was eventually found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

The days after Wright’s shooting were marked by intense protests and violent clashes with police as well as a chaotic leadership shake-up in the small suburb. A day after the shooting, the Brooklyn Center City Council fired the city manager and transferred control of the police department to the mayor.

The following day, Potter resigned from the force and was followed out the door by Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon.

Minn. police officer who shot Daunte Wright apparently meant to use Taser but fired gun, police chief says

A broad coalition of civil rights and racial justice activists continue to demand accountability from state and local leaders, and lamented Wright’s killing as another deadly instance of racially biased policing.

Katie Wright, the victim’s mother, said she was on the phone with her son when he told her police were pulling him over for having air fresheners in his rearview mirror; police said they noticed expired tags on Wright’s car.

Brooklyn Center police Officer Anthony Luckey and Potter, his field training officer, pulled Wright over and found a warrant for a gross misdemeanor weapons charge after running his identification.

Body-camera footage released after the shooting shows Wright being searched outside the vehicle and then pulling away from the officers to get back into the car. Potter pulled her Glock 9mm handgun and pointed it at Wright, saying repeatedly that she would use a Taser on him. Seven seconds later, Potter shouted “Taser, Taser, Taser!” and fired the gun.

Potter is expected to go to trial Nov. 30.

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