Jury reaches verdict in Minnesota police shooting where officer believed she was using a Taser

A Minnesota jury has found former police officer Kim Potter guilty in connection to the killing of Daunte Wright.

The jury handed down its verdict on Dec. 23.

Wright will now face decades in prison for killing Wright during a traffic stop. The shooting happened miles from where the Derek Chauvin trail was being heard in Minneapolis over the murder of George Floyd.

Wright was pulled over in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in April for minor traffic violations. But he struggled with officers and tried to flee the traffic stop by getting back into his car and driving away.

Potter, a police training officer, was called in as backup and was part of the struggle with Wright.

Potter yelled “taser, taser, taser” and removed a weapon from her holster. She then fired one shot, and realized it was from her a gun and not the taser.

“Oh shit. I just shot him,” Potter said in body camera footage.

Wright later died from his injuries and Potter was charged with manslaughter. Prosecutors painted her as reckless when she grabbed the wrong weapon. The defense has argued the case was a tragic accident.

Potter testified during the trial that she was afraid for the other officers when Wright tried to speed away from the cops.