Former Brooklyn Center, Minn., police officer Kim Potter, who was convicted in the 2021 killing of Daunte Wright, an unarmed Black man, will be released from jail on Monday. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 86 months, but Potter was sentenced to two years in jail, with credit for time served. File Photo courtesy of the Hennepin County Jail
April 21 (UPI) — Kim Potter, the former police officer who was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, will be released from prison on Monday, according to Minnesota’s Department of Correction.
On April 11, 2021, Wright, who is Black, was pulled over in Brooklyn Center, Minn., for expired license plates and tried to flee when officers discovered he had an outstanding warrant.
As Wright tried to flee, Potter fired one shot into his chest, fatally wounding him.
The killing sparked protests in Brooklyn Central and several other U.S. cities.
During her trial, Potter said she had confused her service firearm with her Taser and on body camera footage, before firing, she can be heard yelling “Taser! Taser! Taser!”
At trial, prosecutors asked for a sentence of 86 months, but Potter was sentenced to two years in jail, with credit for time served. The two-year sentence is much shorter than the sentence state guidelines typically would dictate.
Potter will serve an additional eight months of supervised release after leaving jail.
Minnesota Attorney General, Kieth Ellison, who played a major role in Potter’s prosecution, took a reconciliatory tone in comments regarding her impending release.
“As Ms. Potter leaves prison, I wish her success in her re-entry, as I do for all people re-entering society from incarceration,” Ellison said.
“My deepest sympathies, however, remain with Daunte Wright, his family, and his young child who will grow up without a father,” Ellison said.
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Augustine Wiers