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Trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter begins Tuesday
The trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who is charged in the death of Daunte Wright, begins Tuesday.
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The trial for former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter began on Nov. 30. On Dec. 23, Potter was found guilty first and second-degree manslaughter in the deadly traffic stop shooting of Daunte Wright on April 11.
The deadly shooting occurred in the middle of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd. It led to several days of protests in Brooklyn Center as well as the ousting of the city manager, the resignations of both Potter and the police chief and the passage of a resolution to reform policing in the city.
Daunte Wright (Daunte Wright family)
Timeline
April 11
Officer Kim Potter shoots and kills Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. The incident began around 2 p.m. when officers stopped Wright’s vehicle on the 6300 block of Orchard Avenue for expired tabs.
As soon as police learned Wright had a warrant for a misdemeanor they attempted to arrest him, but he tried to get back into his vehicle.
At some point during the struggle, Potter fired her gun, hitting Wright, who then drove several blocks before crashing into another vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Potter was placed on standard administrative leave.
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Protesters gather near the scene where a man died after being shot by police in Brooklyn Center
A man died Sunday after he was shot by police and then shortly after involved in a vehicle crash in Brooklyn Center, the police department reports. Protesters soon gathered at the scene and later at the Brooklyn Center Police Department as a result.
Protesters started gathering at the scene minutes after the deadly shooting occurred and later moved to Brooklyn Center Police Department headquarters, where they faced tear gas and flash bangs from law enforcement seeking to control the crowd.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot announces a curfew.
April 12
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon releases the body camera video of the deadly shooting and says at a press conference he believes Potter mistook her handgun for her Taser when she fatally shot Wright.
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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.
The Brooklyn Center City Council holds an emergency meeting, voting to give Mayor Mike Elliot emergency powers over the police department. The city council also removes longtime city manager Curt Boganey, who had refused to fire Potter or the police chief, Tim Gannon.
The family of Daunte Wright attends a vigil held at the site of the deadly shooting.
Protests continue outside police headquarters despite a 7 p.m. curfew, resulting in 34 arrests. A barrier is erected around the building.
April 13
Kim Potter resigns from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon also resigns.
Protesters rally outside police headquarters, with organizers also leading a march to the local FBI headquarters and back. Protesters are seen throwing objects at law enforcement officers and launching fireworks. Seventy-nine people are arrested.
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Police make arrests amid chaotic Brooklyn Center protest
Police make arrests during protests in Brooklyn Center Tuesday night.
April 14
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput charges Potter with one count of second-degree manslaughter in Wright’s death. The charging decision was passed onto Orput’s office from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
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Kim Potter charged in police shooting of Daunte Wright
Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the deadly police shooting of Daunte Wright.
Crowds gather outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department for a fourth consecutive night. Brooklyn Center and surrounding cities issue curfews. A number of people are arrested.
April 15
Protests continue outside Brooklyn Center police headquarters. Law enforcement officials change tactics, setting up a second line of fencing between the protesters and the police department.
April 16
Demonstrations escalate in Brooklyn Center. Protesters breach the secondary barrier surrounding police headquarters. In response, law enforcement uses flash bangs and pepper spray to push the crowd back while protesters continue to throw items. A dispersal order is given and an emergency curfew goes into effect. Approximately 100 protesters are arrested.
April 17
Reverend Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters greet protesters in Brooklyn Center. At an impromptu press conference, Waters urges protesters to take their fight to the polls and vote for change.
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Maxine Waters urges Brooklyn Center protesters to get out and vote
Maxine Waters joined protesters in Brooklyn Center on Saturday for the seventh night of demonstrations following the death of Daunte Wright.
April 18
Demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department largely end.
April 22
The funeral service for Daunte Wright is held at the Shiloh Temple in Minneapolis. Rev. Al Sharpton gives the eulogy. Wright’s parents and siblings speak at the service as does Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
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Daunte Wright funeral: Family members mourn, Rev. Al Sharpton delivers eulogy
The funeral service for Daunte Wright was held Thursday in Minneapolis. Wright was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop on April 11.
May 2
The family of Daunte Wright leads march from the site of the deadly shooting to the Brooklyn Center Police Department to mark three weeks since Wright’s death.
May 15
The Brooklyn Center City Council passes a resolution creating a new public safety department with unarmed civilian traffic enforcement and a mental health division.
May 21
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over the case.
Sept. 2
AG Ellison adds new charge of first-degree manslaughter against Kim Potter.
Sept. 15
Potter’s attorneys file motion asking Judge Regina Chu to dismiss the added charge of first-degree manslaughter against her after Minnesota’s new deadly force law was put on hold, arguing the charge does not apply to Potter’s case under the old statute.
Oct. 28
Judge Chu denies the defense motion to dismiss the first-degree manslaughter charge against Potter, citing sufficient evidence to support probable cause of the added charge.
Nov. 9
Judge Chu rules to allow cameras in the courtroom and the trial to be broadcast live.
Nov. 30
Jury selection begins in Kim Potter’s trial.
Dec. 8
Opening statements begin.
Dec. 20
Closing arguments delivered. Jury gets the case.
Dec. 23
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Kim Potter verdict: GUILTY of manslaughter in Daunte Wright shooting
A jury in the trial of Kim Potter found the former Brooklyn Center police officer guilty of manslaughter in the first and second degree for the death of Daunte Wright in April of 2021.
Verdict reached in Kim Potter's trial. Potter is found guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in Wright's shooting death. She is immediately taken into custody and booked into the Minnesota Correctional Facility women's prison in Shakopee.
Feb. 18
Kim Potter is sentenced to two years in prison. Presiding Judge Regina Chu said there was no question that Potter was extremely remorseful when she announced a downward departure from state guidelines with a total sentence of 24 months, with 16 months served in prison, and the remaining on supervised release. Potter receives credit for 58 days served.
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