Brooklyn Center City Council Holds Special Meeting Ahead Of Kim Potter Trial
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Brooklyn Center City Council held a special meeting Monday evening ahead of the trial of former police officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April.
The council looked ahead to a verdict, discussing potential unrest that may come. They voted on who can have the authority to impose city curfews. The proposal was to give that power to the city manager, but the vote failed.
Mayor Mike Elliott notably was against it, and now the ability to call emergency meetings to impose curfews remains with him.
Most of the comments from the public were also against the idea, including Katie Wright, Daunte's mother.
"I do feel like putting this curfew in place before an emergency has even arisen, I think that is going to send the wrong message to community members, activists and people who want to be out there protesting," Wright said.
She also spoke earlier Monday, standing with other families who have experienced a loved one being killed by police. She thanked everyone who has supported her and her family since her son was killed in April.
Jeff Storms, the Wright family's lawyer, then spoke. He said this prosecution is a first step, but they're seeking a conviction.
"If there is a white jury, is a Minnesota white jury prepared to hold a white officer accountable under these circumstances? It's gonna tell a lot of us about where we stand as a state," Storms said.
The city council also debated re-allocating more than $1 million from the police department toward policing reforms. Wright gave an emotional plea for the move, saying the current system hasn't worked.
The city's police union opposed the idea, saying 14 officer positions would be eliminated if this vote went through.
Potter, who is white, said she meant to use her Taser on Wright, who was Black, but accidentally grabbed her gun instead.
Jury selection in Potter's trial begins Tuesday.