Former police officer Kimberly Potter testifies during her trial last year. Screenshot via court video feed.
A former Minnesota police officer convicted of fatally shooting a 20-year-old Black man during a 2021 traffic stop is set to be released from prison on Monday.
The big picture: Kimberly Potter was sentenced to two years for killing Daunte Wright while attempting to take him into custody in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Center.
- The April 11, 2021 shooting occurred during the Derek Chauvin trial, sparked protests and calls for changes to traffic stop policies.
Catch up fast: Potter and another officer pulled over Wright, who was Black, for a hanging air freshener and expired tags, according to an amended criminal complaint. They then tried to take him into custody over a separate arrest warrant.
- Potter, who is white, has said she inadvertently pulled her taser instead of her gun as Wright tried to flee. A Hennepin County jury convicted her of first- and second-degree manslaughter.
What they're saying: A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed Potter's April 24 release date but declined to specify a time, citing security concerns.
- Attorneys for Potter and the Wright family have not responded to Axios' request for comment on her planned release.
Flashback: Potter petitioned the state Board of Pardons for an early release last year, saying she has taken responsibility for Wright's killing and intends to work with survivors of domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness upon release.
- The board declined to formally consider the request at its December meeting, citing her relatively short sentence and remaining time behind bars.
Of note: Under Minnesota's sentencing guidelines, people serve two-thirds of their prison sentence incarcerated and the remaining third on supervised release.
Source: Read Full Article
-
POLL: Has Liz Truss gone up in your estimation after speech?
-
Nicola Sturgeon on the spot as Douglas Ross probes plot to rejoin EU
-
‘This is it folks’ Boris leaves Downing Street in bullish style
-
‘You want to be critical of us’ Cleverly shuts down Sky News host
-
Ian Blackford rages at Sunak after indyref2 suffers huge setback