"Our nation needs justice and healing, and law enforcement must be held to the highest standards of accountability. [1][14][15][16][17] She had worked for the department since 1995, shortly after finishing Saint Mary's University of Minnesota a year prior in 1994. The family of Daunte Wright on Tuesday dismissed the initial conclusion by police that his fatal shooting by an officer who fired her gun instead of a Taser during a traffic stop was an accident. I haven't seen him since.". A source with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that Potter was field training another officer at the time of the deadly shooting. [113], Chuck Valleau, head of the Brooklyn Center police union, said, "The death of Daunte Wright is terrible. [24] The trainee officer on the driver's side attempted to prevent Wright from obtaining control of the steering wheel. A GoFundMe has been set up by his family . The sum is part of a settlement deal the family struck with the city, which also agreed to make changes in its policing policies and training, the Wright family legal team said in a news release. ", Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama issued a statement Tuesday, saying they "empathize with the pain that Black mothers, fathers, and children are feeling after yet another senseless tragedy. I just shot him, she said in the video, adding, I grabbed the wrong f**king gun, and I shot him.. Moments before he was killed, Daunte Wright called his mother and told her he got pulled over. shows Daunte Wright and his son Daunte Jr., at his first birthday party. I heard the phone getting put down pretty hard," Katie Wright said on "GMA" during Tuesday's exclusive interview. April 22, 2021 at 12:04 p.m. EDT. MORE: Daunte Wright's parents speak out after verdict for former officer Kim Potter. Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a police officer on April 11. RELATED: Daunte Wright's family, Brooklyn Center reach $3.25 million settlement. [66], The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) launched an investigation into the killing of Wright on April 12, per standard procedure, and released Potter's name as the officer who shot Wright. One of them was a trainee working with Potter who also participated in the attempted arrest. Earlier Monday at a press conference, the Brooklyn Center Police Department released body camera footage of the fatal encounter. Wright Family Wright's aunt, Nyesha Wright, told reporters Tuesday that she hopes officials hold Potter "at the highest extent of the law." (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa). [85][86] Mayor Mike Elliott imposed a curfew until 6 a.m. the next morning and closed schools for the following day. He planned to get his GED and workedto support his son, Daunte Jr. The officers initially pulled him over for an expired registration tag on his car but determined during the traffic stop that he had an outstanding gross misdemeanor warrant, according to Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon. Wright's family believed that had the policy been in place when he was stopped by police, he would not have been killed. [73] On May 24, Imran Ali, the assistant criminal division chief at the Washington County Attorney's Office, resigned from his job after several activist groups demonstrated outside Orput's home demanding that the charges be raised to murder. "Daunte put the phone down, I heard some scuffling. [60] In media interviews, Wright's family thanked people for protesting and advocating for justice and encouraged people to protest peacefully. Daunte Wright's parents have spoken out about their son's death, saying that they "can't accept" that his killing was "a mistake". Ben Crump. [30][28][27], Police body camera footage showed Potter, her supervisor, and the trainee officer approaching the car. Just 10 miles away in Minneapolis, the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin is underway for the death of George Floyd last year. [67] On April 13, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said he was planning to complete a "thorough yet expedited" review of potential criminal charges in the case. He was funny and had big dreams for his future. [158], Several other policing changes were made outside of the U.S. state of Minnesota in response to Wright's death. [16][27] The trainee officer approached the driver's side door and the supervisor approached the passenger's side door. The car door remained open while Wright put his hands behind his back and the trainee officer attempted to put on handcuffs. The mother of Daunte Wright, a Black man who died on Sunday after being shot by a police officer, has spoken out about her son's death. Potter, a 26-year police veteran, was sentenced in to two years in prison in February after she was tried and convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter. He was ason, he was a brother, he was anuncle, he was a father, he was a grandson, Katie Wright,told reporters at a Monday night vigil. Im so sorry., Prosecutors argued accidents can be crimes if they happen due to recklessness or culpable negligence., Following the conviction, Wrights mother, Katie Bryant, told CNN, Justice would be Daunte being home. Wright then drove off a short distance, but his vehicle collided with another and hit a concrete barrier. [21], On April 11, 2021, Wright was driving with his girlfriend in a white 2011 Buick LaCrosse that was registered to his brother. The parents of Daunte Wright "can't accept" a Minnesota police chief's claim that the fatal shooting of their 20-year-old son was "accidental.". "He is fatherless," she said of Wright's son. This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officer's reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. "[101] The same day, the Brooklyn Center City Council fired Boganey and gave Mayor Elliott command authority over the city police force[102][103], President Joe Biden said about the incident and unrest, "Peaceful protest is understandable. Potter was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter on December 23, 2021, at a jury trial in Hennepin County. At the request of Potter's attorneys, Chu ruled on August 5 that cameras would not to be permitted in the courtroom. [14][15] Potter, a field training officer, was training a new officer at the time of the incident. Wright then allegedly drove away in the victim's Honda Civic, while his accomplice fled in another vehicle. Daunte Wright was driving in Brooklyn Center, about 10 miles northwest of Minneapolis, when he was stopped by police on Sunday afternoon. $303,114 of the programs' budget came from eliminating three police officer positions. ", "They could have given him a ticket, given him a notice to show up. [134][135], After deliberating for 27 hours over four days, the jury found Potter guilty of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter on December 23. Family and friends of Daunte Wright, 20, grieve after they say he was shot and killed by police on 11 April 2021 in Brooklyn Center (AP) The death of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright , in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Sunday has sparked protests against the police even as tensions were already running high due to the murder trial of a . Daunte Demetrius Wright was a 20-year-old living in Minneapolis, having recently moved there from Chicago. The family and their lawyers have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for Wright's funeral and burial expenses, as well as support to Daunte's son, Daunte Wright, Jr., 2, "and to help the Wright . In their first public press conference, family members of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man shot and killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minn., expressed grief and anger, called for . Whitaker claims that of the approximately $1,039,260 raised through the fund and managed by Crump's firm, "not one . An attorney for the family of Daunte Wright said Thursday it would be "very difficult" for relatives to accept a claim by Minnesota police that the 20-year-old was shot and killed by . The 20-year-old needed to get . [49] The vehicle travelled for about 470 feet (140m) when it collided with another vehicle near the intersection of 63rd Avenue North and Kathrene Drive. Family and friends, foreground, of Daunte Wright, 20, mourn Sunday, April 11, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. [120] People also placed memorials for Wright at the location he was shot and the location where he was pronounced dead. [141] The typical sentence for first-degree manslaughter in Minnesota is more than seven years in prison, with a maximum set at fifteen years. [42] Her Taser, made of plastic, was mostly yellow,[43][44][40] and weighed 0.94 pounds (0.43kg). Wright Family A traffic stop quickly turned deadly Sunday when a white Minnesota police officer fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black . That was the last time I heard from my son, and I have had no explanation since then.". ", This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 15:03. BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. Daunte Wright was a family man, doting on his namesake 2-year-old son and always given to laughter. [48], Attorneys gave closing arguments on December 20 and the jury, which was ordered to be sequestered, began deliberations by midday. ", "How a veteran officer could have mistaken a Glock for a Taser in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright", "Kimberly Potter trial: Emotions high as video of Wright killing plays in court", "Minn. police officer who shot Daunte Wright apparently meant to use Taser but accidentally fired gun, police chief says", "Kimberly Potter defense rests; closing arguments set for Monday", "One dead in police shooting in Brooklyn Center; tear gas deployed to clear protesters", "Protesters Clash With Police In Brooklyn Center After Deadly Officer-Involved Shooting", "Second night of demonstrations follow Daunte Wright shooting, Brooklyn Center officer identified", "Daunte Wright: Who was the 20-year-old Black man shot dead by police in Minneapolis suburb? 2. He had a smile that was angelic. Justice is beyond the reach that we have in this life for Daunte. And I'm just so messed up about it because I feel like they stole my son's dad from him. 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