A jury has resumed for the second day in the trial of Kim Potter, a former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, who says she mistakenly reached for and used her gun instead of her taser.
20 year old Daunte Wright, black, was pulled over at Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, for an expired tag and an illegal air freshener. He was shot when he tried escaping with his vehicle after the police officers discovered he also had an outstanding warrant and tried to arrest him.
49 year old Kim Potter, white, repeatedly yelled “taser”, but gunshot followed, as she fired at the young teen, after she said she mistakenly used her gun.
The jury was tasked with determining the cause of the error.
General Erin Eldridge, Assistant Minnesota Attorney, argued that “Accidents can still be crimes if they occur because of recklessness or culpable negligence”, adding that, that in itself is not a defense.
Kim Potter attorney, Earl Gray, however holds that the police officer only made a mistake, and mistakes are not crime.
“Everybody makes mistakes, nobody’s perfect, this lady made a mistake and a mistake is not a crime.”
He also added that even though Kim Potter didn’t know at that time, she had to use her fireman inorder to protect another police officer, who would have been injured as the deceased teen attempted to drive away with his car.