FORMER officer Kimberly Potter who allegedly killed Daunte Wright appeared in court as his family demand a life-sentence and asked "what if it was her kid?"
The Minnesota cop was released from Hennepin County jail around 5.40pm after posting a $100,000 bond, according to jail records.
Potter faces a second-degree manslaughter charge after fatally shooting Wright, 20, during a traffic stop on Sunday.
She was taken into custody at 11.30am local time on Wednesday, and the Washington County Attorney’s Office filed charges the same day.
"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," Imran Ali, Washington County assistant criminal division chief, said.
"Her action caused the unlawful killing of Mr. Wright and she must be held accountable."
The maximum sentence for the charge is a 10-years behind bars and a $20,000 fine, Minnesota statutes state.
Potter appeared in front of a judge over Zoom on Thursday afternoon wearing a black and white plaid shirt, appearing with her attorney Earl Gray.
However, Potter objected to photographs or recordings of her first appearance to being taken.
The court appearance lasted under 10 minutes with Potter's date of birth and address being confirmed. A second appearance date of May 17 was also scheduled.
Wright was shot just ten miles from where George Floyd was killed last spring, leading to an outpouring of anger from the community.
Bodycam footage from the fatal shooting reveals the moment Potter accidentally shot Wright while trying to use a Taser.
During a press conference just hours before the court hearing, Wright's aunt, Naisha, said of Potter's conviction: "If we can have life, we want life. We gotta go life without him."
She also held up a printed photograph of a Taser and a gun, asking "y'all see the difference? This is a Taser, but no my nephew was killed with this -, a glock."
Naisha went on to ask what would have happened if it was former officer Potter's child who had died.
"If someone killed her child, we wouldn't even be having all this press conference. Because whoever that would be would be under the jail again," she said.
"Can we get that same thing? I don't care what's said, what my nephew may have done, he was ours, we want the same conviction that anybody else of our race or even outside of our race, what they want to call a minority, would get."
Wright's mom, Katie, explained that the family were going to the funeral home today to see their child for the first time since he died.
"Justice would be bringing our son home to us," she said. "If that [justice] even happens, we're still going to bury our son, we're still never gonna be able to see our baby boy, that we're never gonna have again."
His 14-year-old sister, Destiny, explained her brother's "delightful" personality, before saying "she took that from us and I'm very disappointed."
Finally, Daunte's father, Aubrey, asked that due to the amount of black people dying "can you blame my son for being scared of the police?"
Speaking on Monday, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said she had intended to use a Taser – not a handgun – and described the shooting as an "accidental discharge."
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said the resignation of both Potter and Gannon came after the city council passed a resolution to dismiss the cops.
In a statement on Tuesday, Potter said: "I am tendering my resignation from the Brooklyn Center Police Department effective immediately.
"I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately."
Wright's parents have refused to accept that their son was killed by "mistake."
"I lost my son, he's never coming back," Wright's dad, Aubrey Wright, told ABC News.
"I can't accept that – a mistake, that doesn't even sound right.
"This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can't accept that."
An emotional press briefing with the families of Wright and Floyd and Attorneys Ben Crump and Jeff Storms took place in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon.
Screams of "say his name Daunte Wright" could be heard and his weeping mom, Katie Wright, said: "I held him in my arms."
The crowd chanted "Daunte's life mattered" and "Black Lives Matter".
Wright's distraught mom described the day of her son's death "as the worst day of my life."
Addressing the crowd, Wright's aunt, Naisha, said: "They killed my nephew. Every pistol, even a Taser, has a safety on it. I watched that video like everybody else watched it – that woman held that gun in front of her so a long time.
"My nephew was 20-years-old – I don't care what nobody has to say about him.
"My nephew was a lovable young man… the most beautiful smile. My nephew's blood is on your hands."
Chyna Whitaker, the heartbroken mom of Wright's one-year-old son, Daunte Wright Jr, said: "My son, he don't have a dad.
"I feel like they stole my son's dad from him."
One of Wright's cousins grew tearful as he described how he won't be able to spend another holiday with him.
"I won't be able to spend holidays with him anymore," he said, adding that the 4th of July was their favorite.
"We're not going to be able to do that no more," he said.
Attorney Ben Crump said the Wright family was "facing the agony of losing a family member to police excessive force".
"This is a bittersweet moment," he said. "It is somewhat gratifying that we have George Floyd's family here, who left the courthouse where the trial of Derek Chauvin is underway because they thought it was important to comfort Wright's family.
"Because this time last year, almost a year ago, they were facing the unimaginable, they were facing the unbelievable, they were facing the agony of losing a family member to police excessive force.
"And it is unbelievable, it is just something I cannot fathom that in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a suburb 10 miles from where the Chauvin trial regarding George Floyd was taking place, that a police officer would shoot and kill another unarmed black man… I wouldn't believe it."
Crump said "nobody in America should be killed by police" but particularly during the "pinnacle" trial of Chauvin.
He added: "Daunte Wright's life matters, and so when you think about the fact that Daunte was trying to get away, he was not a threat to them.
"It is unacceptable. It was intentional they stopped him… that they used the most force. It reminds you of George Floyd. When it's black people in America, they engage in the most use of force – with deadly consequences."
In response to the resignation of Potter, Crump said: "We were informed that she resigned today – we have not been notified officially."
Screams of "lock her up" were heard from the crowd following the question from the media about Potter's resignation.
Philonise Floyd, George's brother, told the crowd: "Another African American man being slayed, I never thought that this world could be in so much disorder.
"Police officers are killing us and we are being killed at a rate I never thought we could imagine.
"Minneapolis, you can't sweep this under the rug anymore. To the protesters all around this nation, stand up. We need you all to come out.
"This is a family that needs us to stand in solidarity with them. Please pray for this family. I don't want to see another victim."
George Floyd's nephew, Brandon, said: "We came to stand with this family. A so-called mistake? A handgun for a taser? It's unacceptable."
Toshira Garraway, the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, told the crowd: "Over 470 murders at the hands of law enforcement… enough is enough, you will not separate our families, we are coming forward together.
"We are here today to put an end to everything that you guys have tried to cover up."
Source: Read Full Article