The aunt of Daunte Wright said her nephew has “connections” to George Floyd.
Wright and Floyd, both black men, died in police encounters that have spurred demonstrations calling for racial equality and law enforcement reform, but Naisha Wright revealed on Tuesday yet another tie.
She called her nephew’s death in Brooklyn City, Minnesota, on Sunday a murder before pointing to her T-shirt bearing a picture of Floyd with the words “I can’t breathe” covering his mouth.
“I wear this shirt, and the craziest thing is to find out today that my family has connections to this man, to this family,” she said during a press conference on Tuesday. “His girlfriend was a teacher for my nephew.”
Courteney Ross, Floyd’s former girlfriend, confirmed to the Washington Post that Wright was a student while she was a dean at Edison High School.
“[He was] a silly boy, as goofy as can be,” who required extra attention because he “needed a lot of love,” Ross told the outlet.
MORE THAN 60 ARRESTED FOLLOWING DAUNTE WRIGHT PROTEST
Naisha Wright remembered her nephew as a “lovable young man,” while Chyna Whitaker, the mother of Daunte Wright’s son, mourned the loss of the father of her child.
Daunte Wright, 20, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Sunday. Former Brooklyn Center officer Kimberly Potter, who announced her resignation Tuesday, meant to fire her Taser on Wright but used her handgun instead, according to former Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned shortly after Potter.
The Hennepin County medical examiner released its autopsy report in the case on Monday, which said that Wright, who crashed into another car several blocks away, “died of a gunshot wound of the chest and manner of death is homicide.”
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput announced Wednesday that Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter. No court date has been set.
The scene of Wright’s death was less than 10 miles away from the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing Floyd last summer. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter charges.
On May 25 of last year, Floyd, 46, was arrested after allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. When the police attempted to detain him, they pinned him to the ground, and Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, during which Floyd cried, “I can’t breathe.” Floyd died, and video of the incident sparked nationwide protests and conversations about officers’ interactions with minority communities.
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The large number of demonstrations scheduled in and around Minneapolis during Chauvin’s trial have ramped up in the wake of Wright’s death, and the Minnesota National Guard was called in to help maintain order. More than 60 people were arrested Tuesday night in connection to the civil unrest.
On Wednesday, Judge Peter Cahill dismissed the defense’s request to acquit Chauvin, allowing the trial to proceed as scheduled.
