Wright’s family criticized the sentence for being too light and accused the judge from giving more attention to the Black victim than to the white officer.
Potter was convicted of first-degree and second-degree manslaughterin Wright’s April 11 murder. Wright, a Black motorist aged 20, was killed. According to state law, she was only sentenced on the more serious offense.
Wright’s mother Katie Wright said that Potter had “murdered her son” and added: “Today, the justice system murdered him all again.” Wright also accused Wright of being taken in “white woman tears” by the judge after Potter wept during her pre-sentencement statement.
Before the sentence was imposed, Wright spoke in tears and stated that she couldn’t forgive Potter. She would refer to her as “the defendant” since Potter only called her son “the driver” during trial.
“She never said his name once. And that’s something I won’t be able to forgive. Wright also said that he will never forgive Wright for the things he’s taken from them.
She said, “Daunte Demetrius Wayne Wright, I will continue fighting in your name until driving when Black is not longer a death sentence.”
Wright’s family was offered an apology by Potter, who then spoke directly to his mother, Katie: “Katie. I understand a mother’s love. My heart is broken for you all.
Judge Regina Chu said she received hundreds of letters supporting Potter. On the one hand, a young male was killed, and on the second, a 26-year-old veteran police officer committed a terrible error in pulling her Taser instead of her handgun.
Chu stated that the sentence was reduced because Potter was “in line of duty” and was trying to lawfully arrest Daunte Wright. Potter was also protecting another officer, who could have been dragged or seriously injured if Wright drove off.
Potter will be serving the standard two-thirds or 16 months of her sentence. The rest will be served on parole, according to the judge. She has been in Shakopee’s state’s women prison for 58 days since her guilty verdict.
Wright’s mother joined a small group that chanted and shouted outside the downtown building where Wright believed the judge lived.
Brooklyn Center officers pulled Wright over because he had expired license tags and air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. Wright was then killed. Civil rights advocates claim that laws against hanging objects from rearview lenses have been used to stop Black motorists.
The shooting occurred as Derek Chauvin was being tried in Minneapolis for murder in George Floyd’s death. This sparked several days worth of protests outside Brooklyn Center police station. These demonstrations were marked by tear gas and clashes with police.
Potter and Chauvin were both convicted in the same courtroom.
Ben Crump, Wright’s family attorney, stated that the Wright family was shocked by the sentence and said they couldn’t understand how a white officer was considered in the murder of a young Black male. Justine Ruszczyk, a Black officer, received a more severe sentence for the 2017 murder of a white female.
“What we see is the legal system in Black & White.”
However, the judge stated that the case was not comparable to other high-profile police killings.
“This isn’t a cop who was found guilty of murder by using his knee to hold down a person for 9 1/2 mins as he gasped. Chu said that he was not guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of his partner and shooting at his unarmed female who approached him.” Chu was referring to Chauvin, Noor and Noor. This is a cop who made an awful mistake.”
The state guidelines for first-degree manslaughter are slightly longer than six years, to around 8 1/2 years, for someone like Potter who has no criminal record. The presumtive sentence is just over seven years.
Initial arguments by the prosecution were that aggravating circumstances warranted a sentence beyond the guideline range. They argued that Potter abused her authority and caused greater than normal danger to others. On Friday, however, Matt Frank, the Prosecutor, stated that the presumptive sentence was correct.
Frank stated before being sentenced that Frank believed his life was important and that he had been taken. His name is Daunte. We must say his name. He wasn’t just a driver. He was a human being. He was a living being.
Paul Engh, defense attorney, requested a sentence below guidelines that included probation and argued that Wright was the aggressor. He stated that the other officers present at the scene had confirmed it was dangerous because Wright attempted to drive away, and Potter had the right of defense.
The Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted this case and said that he accepted the sentence. He also urged others to do so.
People should think of Daunte Wright, Ellison stated in a statement. “No number of years in prison can ever capture the wonder of his young life,” Ellison added.
He said that the sentence does not negate the “truth of the jury verdict”.
Engh stated to the judge that Wright’s suicide was “beyond tragic” for all involved. But, he also said: “This was not an intentional crime. It was an accident. It was an accident.
Engh stated that if Potter was placed on probation, she would be open to meeting with Wright’s family as well as to speaking to officers about Taser mismatches, as suggested in prosecutors.
Engh also displayed a box that contained what he claimed were “thousands of letters” and cards of support for Potter.
Engh stated that “people took the time to write her.” Engh said, “This is unusual for a defendant. “I dare to say that no one in the room has ever seen anything similar.”
The evidence at Potter’s trial revealed that officers discovered that he was facing an outstanding warrant for a weapon possession charge. They tried to arrest him, but he fled. Potter was heard shouting several times that she would use her Taser against Wright. However, she still had her gun and shot one shot into Wright’s chest.
Wright’s siblings and father addressed the court to express their grief.
Chyna Whitaker (the mother of Wright’s child) stated Friday that Wright would never get the chance to play with him or to see him go to school.
Whitaker stated, “My son shouldn’t have to wear the’rest in Peace’ shirt of his father.”
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This story has been updated to clarify that Potter was sentencing for first degree manslaughter and not first-degree murder. It also changed a quote to say “white woman tears” rather than “white woman’s”.
