Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, according to CNN.
The two-year sentence is nearly five years less than what the prosecution was requesting. The attorneys for Potter wanted a lesser sentence because she had no criminal record and felt remorseful for the killing of Wright.
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The prosecution was looking for more than seven years and two months in prison for Potter, who claims that she made a mistake when she drew her gun instead of her Taser when she shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop in April 2021.
Potter will have to serve 16 months in prison and with good behavior, she’ll be able to do the last eight months on supervised release.
From CNN:
Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu called the sentence “an extremely difficult decision.”
In justifying it, she pointed to several mitigating factors, saying it was undisputed that Potter never intended to use her gun. Chu told the court she took into account the four reasons for incarceration — retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation — saying retribution would be the only purpose served in Potter’s case.
“There rightfully should be some accountability,” she said.
But Potter is a “cop who made a tragic mistake,” the judge added. “She drew her firearm thinking it was a Taser, and ended up killing a young man.”
Ben Crump, the attorney for Wright’s family, said in a statement they were stunned.
“While there is a small sense of justice because she will serve nominal time, the family is also deeply disappointed there was not a greater level of accountability. The Judge’s comments at sentencing showed a clear absence of compassion for the victim in this tragedy and were devastating to the family,” the statement said according to CNN.
Outside of the courthouse, Daunte’s mother, Katie Wright addressed the media telling them, “This is the problem with our justice system today. White women’s tears trump justice.”
More from CNN:
Members of Wright’s family earlier urged the judge to impose the maximum possible sentence. Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, said Potter was a “police officer that took an oath to serve and protect for 26 years.”
“But not on this day. On this day, she did not protect,” she said. “She failed Daunte, our family and our community.”
Many on social media disagreed with the sentencing and let their thoughts be known.
Since the death of George Floyd in 2020, Minnesota has been the focus of police misconduct and brutality. Other than the killings of Wright and Floyd, the city of Minneapolis has become the setting of debate over ending no-knock warrants after police killed 22-year-old Amir Locke on Feb. 3, only seconds after entering his home and waking him up from his sleep. And here’s the kicker, the warrant was not even meant for him.
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