Appropriate use of Taser central ‘factual dispute’ in Kim Potter trial

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In the opening statements of former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter’s trial, the defense and prosecution signaled that their arguments will largely focus on a debate over whether the situation surrounding Daunte Wright’s death called for use of a Taser.

Potter, who is on trial for manslaughter, claims she mistook her gun for her Taser when she fatally shot Wright in April. The prosecution made the case Wednesday that the traffic stop that led to the shooting did not call for Potter to draw any weapon, including a nonlethal Taser, while the defense aims to demonstrate that use of a Taser was justified. They disagree on one major point: whether the car Wright was driving was moving at the time of the shooting.

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