Kim Potter– Officer Who Fatally Shot Daunte Wright Sentenced To 24 Months In Prison

Kim Potter– Officer Who Fatally Shot Daunte Wright Sentenced To 24 Months In Prison

Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who drew a gun instead of a taser and fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday (Feb.18). Reportedly, Potter will serve 16 months in prison and the remaining eight months on supervised release, a sentence far below what the prosecution sought. The sentence comes nearly two months after Potter was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors had requested seven years and two months while Potter’s attorneys argued for a lesser sentence, due to her lack of a prior criminal history and remorse for Dante Wright’s death.

As previously reported, Daunte Wright, 20, was fatally shot during a traffic stop with officer Kim Potter, 49, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 11, 2021. According to Potter, she mistook her handgun for her Taser and fatally shot the 20-year-old black man.

According to reports, Judge Regina Chu found there to be several mitigating factors in the case which led to Potter receiving a shorter sentence such as: Officer Potter intended to draw her taser instead of her gun; that “the scene was chaotic, tense and rapidly evolving,” requiring quick decision-making by Potter; and that Potter’s decisions were not driven by personal animosity toward Wright. While delivering the sentence, Judge Chu said,

“This is one of the saddest cases I have had in my 20 years on the bench…Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically, but she never intended to hurt anyone..Her conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines.”

Before the sentencing, Dante Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, delivered an emotional statement asking the judge to give Potter the maximum sentence.

“I will never be able to forgive you for what you have stolen from us..You took his future…My life and my world will never be the same.” 

Daunte Wright

Wright’s parents were disappointed and angered by the sentence and felt the system failed them. Mrs. Wright told sources,

“Kim Potter murdered my son and … today the justice system murdered him all over again..We’re very disappointed in the outcome. Yes, we got a conviction, and we thank everybody for that. But this isn’t OK. A white woman’s tears trump justice.”

“I am so sorry that I brought the death of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, and the rest of your family. I’m sorry I broke your heart…I do pray that one day you can find forgiveness,” the former officer said, “only because hatred is so destructive to all of us.”

kim potter

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[Source: 1, 2, 3]