Katie Wright said she got a call at 1:47 p.m. Sunday from her son while he was in the car with a girl getting pulled over by police "the worst day of my life," she said. Daunte Wright's mother Katie Wright said Tuesday that she wants to see "justice served" after her 20-year-old son was killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.. Ex-officer Kim Potter wouldn't have been convicted in Daunte Wright's fatal shooting years ago, legal experts say, An attorney for the city said in a statement the city and its insurer agreed to pay the $3.25 million in exchange for a release of the City, its employees, and Kim Potter from any claims or actions stemming from Mr. Wrights death.. [146][147], Alayna Albrecht-Payton, the passenger in Wright's vehicle during the incident on April 11, 2021, filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Brooklyn Center in mid 2022. Topline. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump -- who has represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and more -- is one of the lawyers representing the Wright family and said that fatal encounters between police and people of color will only stop "when we start treating each other all the same. Daunte Wright's wake draws family, community and activists . The parents of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer in a Minneapolis suburb on Sunday, said they "can't accept" the notion that their son's killing was "a mistake. People mourned at a vigil for 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot and killed by a police officer in a Minneapolis suburb. [10][11][12][13], At the time of the shooting, Kimberly Ann Potter, a White woman from Champlin, Minnesota (born June 18, 1972), was a 48-year-old police officer in the Brooklyn Center Police Department, and a mother of two sons. "[101] The same day, the Brooklyn Center City Council fired Boganey and gave Mayor Elliott command authority over the city police force[102][103], President Joe Biden said about the incident and unrest, "Peaceful protest is understandable. "I want to say thank you so much for the support and standing by us," Katie Wright said, "and making sure that my son's name doesn't get swept under the rug. [3][4][5] He was the son of a Black father and a White mother. Wright's family settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the City of Brooklyn Center on June 21, 2022, for $3.25 million. [80] Officers with riot control equipment arrived, formed, a line, and moved in when demonstrators began climbing on police vehicles and throwing bricks. [16][32] She grabbed a piece of paper from the trainee with her right hand, then moved it to her left hand. And I'm just so messed up about it because I feel like they stole my son's dad from him. ", "The fact that this could happen even as the city of Minneapolis is going through the trial of Derek Chauvin and reliving the heart-wrenching murder of George Floyd indicates not just how important it is to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but also just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country," the Obamas said. [123], Prosecutors filed the criminal case in Hennepin County District Court on April 14 as the State of Minnesota vs. Kimberly Potter. Daunte Wright's parents, Aubrey and Katie, listened at a rally to Amity Dimock, whose son Kobe Dimock-Heisler, was killed in 2019 by Brooklyn Center police. The officer -- identified by authorities as Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department -- intended to deploy her Taser instead of her gun when she "accidentally" shot Daunte Wright, Gannon said. Daunte Wright, the oldest son of Katie and Arbuey, was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center, Minn., police officer after he was pulled over for expired tags and an air freshener hanging from his . Crime. Wright's mother, father, two siblings and the mother of his only child gave victim impact statements prior to Potter's sentencing being read. Rupert conducted one of the corporate prayers during the vigil, where she called for peace as well comfort for the family of Daunte Wright. But he was so much more, his mother stressed. "Our nation needs justice and healing, and law enforcement must be held to the highest standards of accountability. RELATED: Daunte Wright's family, Brooklyn Center reach $3.25 million settlement. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. It's important to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but this is also a reminder of just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country. Potter testified in her defense, claiming that she mistook her gun for a Taser and admitting to fatally shooting Wright. Taser! 22 Apr, 2021 11:16 PM 5 minutes to read. [141] The typical sentence for first-degree manslaughter in Minnesota is more than seven years in prison, with a maximum set at fifteen years. [42] Her Taser, made of plastic, was mostly yellow,[43][44][40] and weighed 0.94 pounds (0.43kg). [49] After the crowd moved to outside a police precinct, the police announced that the gathering was an unlawful assembly, and threatened arrest for anyone who did not leave. "He was so much more, and he did not deserve this. Justice would be restoring Daunte to life and making the Wright family whole again. Changes are expected to include training on police intervention, implicit bias, weapons confusion, de-escalation as well as how to handle situations arising during mental health crises, the attorneys explained. Ben Crump. [158], Several other policing changes were made outside of the U.S. state of Minnesota in response to Wright's death. [62][100], City manager Curt Boganey, speaking at an April 12 press conference of Brooklyn Center officials, said, "All employees working for the city of Brooklyn Center are entitled to due process with respect to discipline. . His family say that Wright, 20, was shot by police after . Daunte Wright. He was shot by officer Kimberly . Officer Kim Potter, part of the Brooklyn Center Police negotiation team, in a photo taken on May 31, 2007. In their first public press conference, family members of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man shot and killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minn., expressed grief and anger, called for . Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is standing . Now, they're speaking out on his behalf. A person lights candles at a vigil for Daunte Wright in Portland, Oregon, on April 12, 2021. [111] The Minnesota Vikings released a statement which said in part: "This avoidable situation is yet another tragic reminder of the drastic need for change in law enforcement. Taser!" Daunte Wright is seen here in an undated file photo. [13] To pursue a longer sentence than what is typical requires the prosecution to demonstrate Blakely factors, or elements of a crime which make it particularly egregious. He was ason, he was a brother, he was anuncle, he was a father, he was a grandson, Katie Wright,told reporters at a Monday night vigil. Holy sh*t! Wright's death sparked protests and tributes from across the country, including from people onsocial media. "I can't accept that a mistake, that doesn't even sound right," Aubrey said of the police's explanation regarding his son's death. [150] The Bucks County, Pennsylvania District Attorney declined to press charges against the officer, saying state law excused the officer's conduct from criminal prosecution because of his "honest but mistaken" belief he was firing his Taser when he shot the wounded prisoner. Daunte Wright's family has called for peaceful protests. She said he told her that police had pulled him over due to air fresheners hanging in his rear view mirror. "We had our hearts pulled out of our chests," the mother said. Chyna Whitaker is the mother of a child fathered by Mr Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, north of Minneapolis on 11 April 2021. [97], Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said in a tweet the evening of April 11, "The officer shooting in Brooklyn Center today is tragic. That was the last time I heard from my son, and I have had no explanation since then.". I can't accept that.". She said she had overheard what sounded like a scuffle and an officer saying, "Daunte, don't run" before the phone hung up, and that her son said he had been pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror. [127] Erin Eldridge, an assistant attorney general who also participated in the Chauvin trial, joined Frank. [120] People also placed memorials for Wright at the location he was shot and the location where he was pronounced dead. [148], Wright's death was one of several instances in which a police officer admitted to firing a handgun when intending to draw and discharge a Taser, such as a 2002 shooting in Rochester, Minnesota,[149] the fatal 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant by a Bay Area Rapid Transit officer in Oakland, California, and the deadly 2015 shooting of Eric Harris by a volunteer reserve deputy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [60] In media interviews, Wright's family thanked people for protesting and advocating for justice and encouraged people to protest peacefully. Mr Wright, an unarmed father of a two-year-old, was . Wright, who grew up in the Minneapolis area, was an adoring father with siblings and parents he loved, according to his mother, Katie Wright. I just shot him, she said in the video, adding, I grabbed the wrong f**king gun, and I shot him.. Potter, a 26-year police veteran, was sentenced in to two years in prison in February after she was tried and convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter. [1][14][15][16][17] She had worked for the department since 1995, shortly after finishing Saint Mary's University of Minnesota a year prior in 1994. "This officer has been on the force for 26 years. Following Wrights killing, dayslong protests erupted in Brooklyn Center, which is just 10 miles from Minneapolis reigniting the scrutiny over the use of force by police against Black Americans. Hundreds have attended the funeral of Daunte Wright including George Floyd's family. "There was a lot of chanting youth out there," Toshira Garraway of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence said, referring to the protests on Sunday and Monday. [50][51] Officers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but Wright was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:18p.m.[52][49][53] Albrecht-Payton, the passenger in Wright's vehicle, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and no one in the other vehicle was injured. [150] In August 2021, Minneapolis, Minnesota, police announced they would not make traffic stops for minor infractions, such as expired vehicle tabs or having objects hanging on mirrors. Three of four seconds went by. For a long time after Wright died, his . Then he was killed by police. 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