Kim Potter, an ex-Brooklyn Center cop, was found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright.
First-degree manslaughter carries a potential punishment of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine, while second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. The date for Potter’s sentence has been set for February 18.
On the fourth day of deliberations, the jury of six men and six women – nine white, two Asian, and one black – notified the court that they had reached a decision soon before midday.
Potter will be held into custody without bail right away.
‘I love you, Kim,’ her husband, who was present with the couple’s sons, shouted as she walked out of the courthouse. Although, Potter remained silent.
The Wright family’s legal team claimed in a statement that the family is “relieved.” They demanded that America’s policing systems need to be reformed and changed.
The statement by the Wright family read, “From the unnecessary and overreaching tragic traffic stop to the shooting that took his life, that day will remain a traumatic one for this family and yet another example for America of why we desperately need a change in policing training and protocols.
If we are ever going to restore the confidence of Black and marginalized Americans in law enforcement, we need to have accountability and a commitment to listening and to creating meaningful change.”
Potter will serve her time at the Shakopee Woman’s Prison in Minnesota. Given the seriousness of her charges, the minimum punishment possible under Minnesota law is three years. She would spend two of those years in prison if she received that punishment.
Meanwhile, a mob of protestors erupted in celebration outside the courtroom as Judge Regina Chu read the guilty verdict.
What are your thoughts on this verdict?