Kim Potter's Defense Files Opposition To Cameras In Courtroom During Trial
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- The defense team for Kim Potter, the ex-Brooklyn Center police officer charged with killing Daunte Wright, has filed a motion opposing cameras in the courtroom during her trial.
Potter faces one charge of second-degree manslaughter in connection to Wright's death during a traffic stop in April. Her trial is set to begin in December.
Court rules only allow recording if both parties consent. The prosecution previously filed a motion in support, leaving the final decision to a judge, who could choose to override court rules.
Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu rejected requests by several media organizations to record an omnibus hearing for Potter in May.
The defense's opposition, filed Wednesday, cites court rules, as well as safety concerns for Potter and witnesses.
Another Hennepin County judge, Peter Cahill, overrode court rules this spring to allow livestreaming of Derek Chauvin's murder trial in the death of George Floyd, citing in part the pandemic that severely limited courtroom attendance.
Potter and another officer pulled Wright over for having expired tabs, and because he had an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. The officers then discovered there was a gun-related arrest warrant out for him. During the traffic stop, as seen from police body camera footage, Wright got out of his car momentarily, then jumped back inside.
The former Brooklyn Center police chief said Potter meant to grab her Taser to subdue Wright, but accidentally grabbed her service weapon and fatally shot Wright at close range.
Wright's death — in the midst of the Chauvin trial — sparked several nights of protest outside the police department's headquarters, some of which turned violent.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)