Kim Potter ― a former Minnesota police officer who was once discovered responsible of manslaughter for the killing of Daunte Wright, an unarmed 20-year-old Black guy ― was once sentenced Friday to 24 months.
Potter will serve simply 16 months in jail and be launched on supervised free up for the rest of her sentence.
Hennepin County Pass judgement on Regina Chu issued the sentence following sufferer affect statements from Wright’s circle of relatives, together with his mom, Katie Wright, who gave emotional testimony to the courtroom asking that Potter obtain a protracted sentence.
“I’m asking you to carry the defendant to the absolute best responsibility,” Katie Wright advised Chu all over Friday’s sentencing.
The Minnesota Lawyer Basic’s place of work filed a movement previous this week asking that Potter be sentenced to only over seven years in jail. Potter’s legal professionals had requested the courtroom for a a long way lesser sentence of probation.
Potter, who’s white, fatally shot Wright in April 2021 and was once discovered responsible of first-degree manslaughter in December. Jurors had been proven frame digital camera video of the stumble upon, the place Wright was once arrested all over a site visitors forestall in Brooklyn Heart, Minnesota, after police discovered he had an excellent warrant.
Within the video, Potter, who was once coaching some other officer that day, may also be heard yelling “Taser, Taser, Taser!” at Wright, earlier than pulling out a gun and firing at him at shut vary.
In her personal remark all over Friday’s sentencing, Potter spoke without delay to Wright’s circle of relatives in regards to the hurt she has brought about.
“I’m so sorry that I introduced the dying of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew and the remainder of your circle of relatives to your own home,” Potter mentioned thru sobs. “I’m sorry I broke your hearts. … My center is damaged for all of you.”
Sooner than pronouncing the sentence, Chu mentioned this example was once “probably the most saddest instances I’ve had in my twenty years at the bench.”
Chu mentioned she passed down a lesser sentence partly as a result of Potter didn’t imply to shoot Wright together with her gun.
“Right here everyone is of the same opinion, and the proof is undisputed, that officer Potter by no means supposed to make use of her firearm,” Chu mentioned.
Potter testified at her trial and maintained that she supposed to make use of her Taser however mistakenly pulled out her gun as an alternative. All through a cross-examination, prosecutors argued that Potter was once an skilled officer who will have to have recognized the variation in weight between a Taser and a gun.
“So that you went out in the street with a Taser, no longer understanding what that Taser did?” prosecutor Erin Eldridge requested Potter all over the trial.
“I’d suppose that at the day I labored, I’d know,” Potter replied. “However I don’t know, it’s been months now.”
All through Friday’s sentencing, Katie Wright spoke thru tears about her son’s killing.
“Your honor, I am hoping the defendant is listening as I discuss loud and transparent nowadays,” Wright mentioned earlier than Potter’s sentencing. “And sure, I check with her as defendant, as a result of I will be able to no longer give her the glory of calling her by means of her identify. She referred to Daunte over and over as the motive force. As though killing him wasn’t sufficient to dehumanize him, she by no means as soon as mentioned his identify. And for that, I’ll by no means be capable to forgive you. And I’ll by no means be capable to forgive you for what you’ve stolen from us.”
“She didn’t even attempt to save him,” Wright added.