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Brooklyn Center Police Chief Claims Officer Mistook Gun for Taser in Killing of Daunte Wright

HeadlineApr 13, 2021

In Minnesota, police fired tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades as protesters defied a curfew and took to the streets of the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center for a second straight night. They were demanding justice for Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop Sunday.

State authorities have identified the officer who killed Wright as Kimberly Potter, a 26-year police veteran who has served as the police union president for the department. She has been placed on administrative leave. On Monday, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon claimed Potter accidentally pulled a gun instead of a Taser. He also played an excerpt of police body camera footage showing the shooting.

Kimberly Potter: “I’ll tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser! Holy [bleep]! I just shot him. Yes!”

According to the Star Tribune, Daunte Wright is the sixth person killed by Brooklyn Center police since 2012. Five of the six have been men of color. On Monday, the director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined calls for officer Kimberly Potter to face criminal charges. This is Jaylani Hussein.

Jaylani Hussein: “We are told it’s an accident, but I’m going to tell you it is not an accident. Daunte Wright was killed before he was even stopped, because he’s a Black man in America. Daunte Wright was killed by this white officer because she did not see his humanity. She did not believe that Black lives matter.”

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