Daunte Wright Killing: Kim Potter's Trial Date Moved To Late November
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The trial for Kim Potter will begin a week earlier than previously scheduled.
According to Attorney General Keith Ellison's office, the trial date for the former Brooklyn Center police officer will begin Nov. 30, not Dec. 6 as originally scheduled.
Potter, who is white, faces second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright.
Wright, father of a young son, was killed April 11 after a traffic stop. Police have said Wright was pulled over for expired tags, but officers sought to arrest him after discovering an outstanding warrant.
The former Brooklyn Center police chief has said he believes Potter meant to use her Taser on Wright instead of her handgun. Body camera video shows her shouting "Taser!" multiple times before firing.
The shooting ignited days of unrest. Wright's family members and protesters had wanted prosecutors to file murder charges. The shooting also happened amid the trial for Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murder for pressing his knee against George Floyd's neck as the Black man said he couldn't breathe.
Brooklyn Center was moving toward firing Potter when she resigned shortly after the shooting. The city's police chief also resigned, after the City Council fired the city manager.
In July, Potter's defense filed a motion opposing cameras in the courtroom during her trial. The defense's opposition cites court rules, as well as safety concerns for Potter and witnesses.