Officer who shot Daunte Wright was training new recruit at time of shooting
The Minnesota police officer who shot fatally 20-year-old Duante Wright after reportedly mistaking her gun for a taser was training a new recruit at the time of the shooting.
The 26-year veteran of the force can be heard saying: “Holy s***. I just shot him!” in bodycam footage after allegedly intending to tase Mr Wright but shooting him instead.
Kimberly Potter, 48, was identified on Monday night as the officer who pulled the trigger. She got her police licence in 1995 at the age of 22, state records show.
Ms Potter was working as a field training officer on Sunday in Brooklyn Center north of Minneapolis. At least one of the officers who was with her at the time of the shooting was a new recruit who she was training, the head of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Brian Peters told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
He said: "She's just a very dedicated, passionate, good person. It's completely devastating. She [is] just a good person, always willing to help out."
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said on Monday night that Ms Potter is on administrative leave. The mayor and the family of Mr Wright have called for her to be fired.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said: "I think we can watch the video and ascertain whether she will be returning."
He described the shooting as "an accidental discharge".
Ms Potter has served on the force's negotiation team. During another fatal shooting in August 2019, Ms Potter was among those who arrived first at the scene where Kobe Dimock-Heisler died after being shot after he reportedly ran at officers with a knife, The Star Tribune reported.
A report from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said Ms Potter instructed the two officers involved to “exit the residence, get into separate squad cars, turn off their body-worn cameras, and to not talk to each other”.
The actions of both officers were found to have been justified and no charges were filed.
Ms Potter has been a union president for her department and was a part of the Law Enforcement Memorial Association. In the association, she was a member of the “casket team”, working to honour fallen police officers.
Public records stated that her salary was $86,190 when the records were last updated in 2018.
The Independent has reached out to the lawyer handling the case of Ms Potter for comment.
