Kim Potter, a former Minnesota police officer, completed her testimony before the court in her shooting trial of Daunte Wright, who she killed in April 2021. Potter claims she mistook her gun for the taser, which led her to kill the 20-year-old.
Kim Potter claims she fired the gun by mistake
Speaking in front of the court for the first time in her defense, Kim Potter noted on Friday she was standing near a vehicle at the time; meanwhile, another police officer, Mychal Johnson, was trying to arrest Daunte Wright.
Potter stated Johnson had fear on his face, as she yelled “taser” three times while shooting the pistol. Later on, Johnson told her she shot down the young boy, on which she broke into tears.
Former police officer Kim Potter takes the stand in her trial on manslaughter charges in the killing of 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright. Follow live updates: https://t.co/rz0ikFMVS9
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) December 17, 2021
The episode happened when another police officer, Derek Chauvin, was being tried for killing another black person, George Floyd, in the same state.
Thus, this shooting gained enough traction immediately, leading to Potter’s resignation two days after the incident. During the testimony, Potter claimed she’d been using a taser multiple times during her career since 2002, but never fired it.
After the shooting, Potter appeared in an interview with police psychologist Dr. Miller, an event that also came into the spotlight in the court. Earl Gray, the defense attorney, asked Potter whether she ever shot her gun or taser during her whole policing career.
Potter said no.
On the other hand, Erin Eldridge, the prosecutor, inquired of the former police officer about her claims she lost memory after the shooting.
He said Potter told Dr. Miller after the accident, she remembered seeing her gun in her right hand at the time of the shooting. However, Potter noted she could not recall her interview with Miller, as she was distraught back then.
The prosecutor kept on grilling Potter, noting she did not offer any aid to Daunte Wright after shooting him. Likewise, he stated the police officer failed to inform other officers about her actions of just killing someone.
Potter replied she was sorry it happened, as all of it was a mistake, and she never wanted to hurt anybody.
Potter’s claims of memory loss look skeptical to a New York attorney
Julie Rendelman, a New York-based criminal defense attorney, told Fox News Digital that she believed Potter’s rhetoric, as she cried after the incident and was feeling upset.
However, the attorney asserted Potter’s claims that she does not remember what happened afterward do not seem credible.
Just read where the jury got to see Kim Potter’s emotional reaction after she shot #DaunteWright . The whyte lies and whyte tears of whyte women have been landing innocent Black men six feet under for centuries. Save your tears, Kim. The public don’t want ‘em. pic.twitter.com/vrAG1kp7wb
— Melissa Earnest (@TheRealMelissaE) December 11, 2021
While she noted it is quite a possibility that Potter lost her memory, overall, these claims look skeptical. Commenting upon the court’s proceedings, she backed Potter’s testimony that nerves could be real in such a situation.
The judge will give instructions to the jury on Monday.
