Judge rules trial for former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright can proceed
A Minnesota judge ruled Monday that a trial for Kimberly Potter, the former police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April, can proceed.
Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu said Monday there was probable cause for Potter’s second-degree manslaughter charge to continue and set a tentative start date for the trial in December.
Potter, a 26-year-veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, resigned and was charged in short order in April after shooting Wright, 20, during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb.
Monday was Potter’s first court appearance since the day after she was charged. She has remained out of custody after posting bond in April. Potter’s second-degree manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if the jury convicts. However, a plea deal would likely result in a lighter sentence.
The Brooklyn Center City Council recently approved a number of changes aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future, including creating a new division of unarmed social workers and medical professionals to deal with non-moving traffic violations and interactions with people in the midst of mental crises.
