Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter will testify in her manslaughter trial of Daunte Wright.
Potter is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter for Wright’s death, in which she shot him with her gun at a traffic stop in April. She allegedly meant to grab her Taser but instead grabbed her gun. Lawyers and a judge began selecting the jury for her case on Tuesday, and criminal defense attorney Joe Tamburino said her case is dealing with recklessness or negligence, according to CBS News.
“So for the second one, they would have to show that Ms. Potter was extremely negligent when she did the act,” Tamburino said. “For the first-degree, they would have to show not only was she negligent, but also she did an underlying crime, meaning the misdemeanor mishandling of a weapon.”
‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ MOVEMENT IS NOW DEAD IN OAKLAND
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, the city in which Potter was employed, said it has implemented measures such as “identifying space for peaceful protesting,” “utilizing space and distance to de-escalate tension in the protest area,” and adding patrols from outside law enforcement agencies ahead of Potter’s jury selection.
Wright died after police pulled him over for a traffic infraction. As officers tried to apprehend him, Wright slipped back into the driver’s door, which is when Potter fired one round at him, killing him. Both Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned from their positions following Wright’s death.
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On April 13, two days after Wright died, more than 60 people were arrested in connection to unrest in the city. Authorities claimed that demonstrators threw bricks and cans at officers.
