by Erin Guo
Kim Potter, a former Minneapolis police officer who mistook a gun for a taser and fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright, has been found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter.
The jury deliberated for about 27 hours before making a decision. First-degree manslaughter and reckless use/handling of a firearm has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. However, Minnesota guidelines recommend roughly between 6 and 8.5 years since Potter has no criminal record.
Prosecutors say that they would like to seek a longer-term for Potter. Judge Regina Chu ordered Potter to be taken into custody and held without bail awaiting sentencing on February 18th. Potter had been freed on a $100,000 bond three days after she shot Wright and one day after she quit her job at the police force.
The case, centering around the jury's interpretation of Potter's fatal error, was whether or not it was due to her reckless and negligent actions or an unfortunate accident.
Those testifying against Potter called her actions excessive, unreasonable, and inappropriate. They pointed out that Potter made many errors leading to the incident, including evidence showing that Potter did not do her required test on the stun gun on the morning of the shooting.
Those defending her say that what she did, which resulted in an unfortunate accident, should not be considered a crime. "Everybody makes mistakes, nobody's perfect,” said Potter’s attorney Earl Gray. "This lady made a mistake and a mistake is not a crime.” He also added that Potter had the right to use lethal force to protect her and her fellow officers during the scene.
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