Jurors have convicted a suburban Minneapolis police officer of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright.
The jury deliberated for about four days before finding Kim Potter guilty of both counts on Thursday. Potter, who is white, was a Brooklyn Center police officer when she shot and killed the 20-year-old Wright during an April 11 traffic stop.
Potter has said she mistook her handgun for a Taser while she and other officers were trying to arrest Wright on an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge. She faces about seven years in prison on the most serious count under the state’s sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors said they’d seek a longer term.
The defense asked the court to release Potter on the existing $100,000 dollar bail pending sentencing. They argued the defendant was convicted of an accident. Prosecutors countered that with the severity of the charges necessitate she be placed into custody. The court denied the request for release. A tentative sentencing date has been set for February 18.
AP / KNOX
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