Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter has been charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright. (FOX 9)
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison added the count of first-degree manslaughter against Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during an April traffic stop in Brooklyn Center.
Ellison filed the amended complaint in Hennepin County District Thursday. This new charge of first-degree manslaughter by recklessly handling a firearm is in addition to the count of second-degree manslaughter by culpable negligence that she was originally charged with by the Washington County Attorney earlier this year.
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Daunte Wright police shooting body camera video released
Daunte Wright shooting bodycam video was released April 12 by the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Police Department. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said it was an accidental discharge, that the officer who shot Wright had intended to reach for a taser, but discharged a handgun instead.
In May, Ellison took over the prosecution of the case and pledged to complete a review of the evidence and charges. Wright's family members have called for a murder charge to be added in the case.
"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," read a statement from the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.
Body camera video of the traffic stop showed Potter yelling for her Taser, but ultimately pulling out her handgun and firing at Wright, who later died. The Brooklyn Center police chief at the time said he believed Potter mistook her gun for her Taser.
Potter's trial is scheduled to begin on Nov. 30.