A former Minnesota police officer has been found guilty on two manslaughter charges over the killing of Daunte Wright, a black motorist she shot during a traffic stop, claiming to have confused her gun for her taser. You can see her reaction to the verdict below:
The jury deliberated for around four days before finding Kim Potter guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.
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When the verdicts were read out, the 49-year-old defendant remained expressionless and looked down without showing any visible reaction.
Potter likely faces about seven years in prison on the most serious count under the state’s sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors said they would seek a longer term.
Judge Regina Chu ordered Potter taken into custody and held without bail and scheduled her to be sentenced on 18 February.
Potter, who is white, shot and killed 20-year-old Mr Wright during an 11 April traffic stop in Brooklyn Centre as she and other officers were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge.
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The shooting happened at a time of high tension in the area, with former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin standing trial just miles away for the killing of George Floyd. Potter resigned two days later.
Jurors saw video of the shooting that was captured by police body cameras and dash-cams.
It showed Potter and an officer she was training, Anthony Luckey, pull over Mr Wright for having expired licence plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror.
During the stop, Mr Luckey discovered there was a warrant for Mr Wright’s arrest for not appearing in court on the weapons possession charge, and he, Potter and another officer went to take Mr Wright into custody.
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Giving evidence, Potter said the traffic stop 'just went chaotic' and that she shouted her warning about the taser after she saw a look of fear on the face of Sergeant Mychal Johnson, who was leaning into the passenger side door of Mr Wright’s car.
She also told jurors that she does not remember what she said or everything that happened after the shooting, as much of her memory of those moments 'is missing'.
Potter’s lawyers argued that she made a mistake by drawing her gun instead of her taser.
Featured Image Credit: PA