Former U.S. police officer charged over the killing of Daunte Wright

A white female former U.S. police officer, Kim Porter, who shot dead a black motorist in Minnesota has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, according to news reports.

The incident happened on Sunday after Daunte Wright was stopped by the police for violating traffic violations.

Police Chief Gannon argued that the killing was an accident, as Porter mistakenly pulled out her gun and fired instead of her taser. She was arrested and later released on a $100,000 bail. However, the Wright family’s lawyer stated that the killing was a deliberate act describing it as an “intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force.”

The killings stirred up clashes between the police and protesters in Brooklyn Center – a suburb of Minneapolis – late Wednesday. A curfew was announced after the police declared the gathering unlawful, but thousands of demonstrators defied it to gather outside police headquarters.

Brooklyn Center Mayor, Mike Elliot, at a news conference, called for the public to protest peacefully. He said although the city has decided to charge the former police officer, there would likely be a “prolonged period of continued grieving, hurt and understandable anger.”

“Our task as a city and as a leadership is to allow for the expression of those very legitimate voices and to also create a pathway forward toward healing and renewal of our stability and strength as a community,” Elliot said.

According to Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Potter was taken into custody Wednesday morning and was booked into Hennepin County Jail before bail was posted. The Minnesota state law states that a person can be found guilty of second-degree manslaughter if there is proof of culpable negligence whereby an unreasonable risk is created and “consciously take chances of causing death or great bodily harm” to another person.

Protesters have since gathered at the Brooklyn Center police station, four nights in a row to demonstrate over the unlawful killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. The news about the former police officer being charged with second-degree manslaughter is a positive development for the protesters.

Many of the protesters have made insensitive jokes about the killing, saying that Tasers and guns both look and feel different. Some of the protesters were also angry that Potter was allowed to resign honorably rather than firing her.

“A 26-year veteran of the force knows the difference between a Taser and a firearm,” said lawyer, Crump. “Kim Potter executed Daunte for what amounts to no more than a minor infraction and a misdemeanor warrant.”

Both the families of Daunte Wright and George Floyd have come together to demand an end to the killing of unarmed black Americans by police officers.