The former Minnesota cop who murdered 20-year-old Daunte Wright after “mistaking” her gun for her taser will be released from prison.
According to NPR, Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesman Andy Skoogman confirmed the news in an announcement.
“Our criminal investigative analysts are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation to ensure Kim Potter, like all incarcerated persons, is safe as she leaves our facility,” Skoogman wrote in the statement.
Potter was charged with first and second-degree manslaughter, which should’ve slapped her with a 25-year sentence since she’s a veteran cop who should’ve known the difference between a gun and a taser.
In Minnesota, first-degree manslaughter gets a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars or a $30,000 fine. Second-degree manslaughter carries the maximum sentence of 10 years or a $20,000 fine.
But Judge Regina Chu made the “extremely difficult decision” and let Potter off with a slap on the wrist — 16 months at the Shakopee Minnesota Correctional Facility. She was given a 24-month sentence, but 16 months would be spent in prison and the others would be spent on supervised release.
Before her sentence, she served 58 days in jail, which went toward her 16-month sentence. Once released, she’ll have eight months of supervision.
News Onyx reported that on April 11, 2021, Potter shot Wright during a traffic stop in the City of Brooklyn Center. Officers informed Wright they were arresting him because of a warrant. Wright resisted by pulling away and getting back in the driver’s seat. They attempted to seize control, and the 26-year veteran discharged her Glock 9mm and pointed it at Wright, yelling, “Taser, Taser, Taser.”
She fired her weapon, hitting Wright in the chest.
Instead of focusing on the fact that a 26-year veteran with tons of training fired her gun on an unarmed innocent man, the judge saw it as a “tragic error.”
After Potter’s sentencing, Wright’s mother, Katie, gave a statement.
“Kim Potter murdered my son, and he died April 11,” Katie said. “Today, the justice system murdered him all over again.”
