BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – The former officer who killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Wednesday, a day after he resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Washington County Attorney Peter Orput said Kim Potter, a 26-year-old force veteran, is in jail awaiting his first court appearance. The indictment carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison under Minnesota law.
Police had described Mr Wright’s shooting as an accident and body camera footage showed Mrs Potter, 48, shouting the word Taser several times before firing his gun. The murder sparked protests and clashes with police on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.
“Officer Potter revoked his responsibility to protect the public when he used the firearm instead of the Taser,” said Imran Ali, deputy head of the criminal division of the Washington County Attorney’s Office. , in a statement. “His action provoked the unlawful murder of Mr. Wright and he must be held accountable.”
The statement from the Washington County Attorney’s Office describes the moments before the fatal shooting. Mrs. Potter and another officer, who was training on the ground, checked Mr. Wright’s identification after a traffic stop and found that he had an order to charge a serious gun crime.