A prosecutor who was leading the case of Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center officer accused of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright, resigned on Monday after he said the office had been infused with “partisan politics.”
Imran Ali, who served in the Washington County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota for 10 years, tendered his resignation via a letter to his boss, County Attorney Pete Orput. The former prosecutor said that “it has been an honor” to serve the citizens of his area, though “vitriol” and “extreme partisan platforms” drove him to make his decision.
“The last several weeks have been difficult for my family,” Ali wrote. “The vitriol from some and the infusion of partisan politics by many has made my job difficult to pursue justice. I pray that our state heals and the extreme partisan platforms dissipate. We must return to thoughtful discourse that unites, not impulsive, irrational talking points that divide. Until then, there will be no peace, and no justice.”
MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO PROSECUTE OFFICER CHARGED IN DAUNTE WRIGHT DEATH
His words follow a mid-April in-person protest at Orput’s home, where demonstrators demanded that Potter’s charges be upgraded.
“I’m losing my best prosecutor and one of my dearest friends. I’m saddened, but I’m also excited for him,” Orput told KARE 11 regarding Ali’s resignation.
On Friday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison‘s office announced it would be taking the reins on the prosecution of Potter, who has been accused of manslaughter after she allegedly mistook her gun for a Taser and shot Wright during a warrant traffic stop on April 11. The move mirrors what was done during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who has since been found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter after he knelt on George Floyd‘s neck for over nine minutes on May 25, 2020.
“Daunte Wright was a son, a brother, a father, a friend. When he died, he was only 20 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him,” Ellison said in a statement. “Daunte Wright’s death was a tragedy. He should not have died on the day that he did. He should not have died the way that he did.”
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“Prosecutors are ministers of justice,” he continued. “This means we must and will follow justice wherever it leads. I promise the Wright family and all Minnesotans that I will handle this prosecution responsibly and consistent with the law, and that I will be guided by the values of accountability and transparency. No one, however, should expect this case will be easy to prosecute. History shows that this case, like all cases of officer-involved deaths by deadly force, will be difficult.”
Wright’s death sparked protests, riots, and looting episodes in the Minneapolis area around the same time the Chauvin trial was underway. The 20-year-old black man’s death has renewed calls to restrict law enforcement funding and prosecute officers accused of misconduct.
