Kimberly Potter, the former police officer who shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright on Sunday, was charged with second-degree manslaughter Wednesday.
Potter, 48, announced her resignation Tuesday after Sunday’s incident in which she shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop. Potter can be heard in video of the incident yelling, “Taser, Taser, Taser,” before firing a gun instead.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput confirmed the charges on Wednesday.
“Certain occupations carry an immense responsibility and none more so than a sworn police officer,” said Imran Ali, Washington County assistant criminal division chief, in a statement. “With that responsibility comes a great deal of discretion and accountability. We will vigorously prosecute this case and intend to prove that Officer Potter abrogated her responsibility to protect the public when she used her firearm rather than her taser. Her action caused the unlawful killing of Mr. Wright and she must be held accountable.”
DAUNTE WRIGHT SLAYING SPARKS NEW ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ PUSH
“While we appreciate that the district attorney is pursuing justice for Daunte, no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back,” the attorney for Wright’s family and his co-counsel said in a statement Wednesday. “This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force. Driving while Black continues to result in a death sentence. A 26-year veteran of the force knows the difference between a taser and a firearm. Kim Potter executed Daunte for what amounts to no more than a minor traffic infraction and a misdemeanor warrant.”
Department Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Tuesday.
More than 60 people were arrested Tuesday evening during demonstrations over Wright’s death. Authorities have claimed that bricks and cans were thrown at officers during the unrest.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
A curfew would go into effect at 10 p.m. and remain until 6 a.m., the city announced earlier on Tuesday. However, a gathering in the city was declared an unlawful assembly nearly 1.5 hours before the curfew was set to begin. Various crowd control techniques, including aerosols and flash-bang grenades, were used to disperse demonstrators.