Killing of Daunte Wright

Killing of Daunte Wright
Footage from Kimberly Potter's body camera of her holding a firearm during her shooting of Daunte Wright, April 11, 2021.
Location of the incident in Brooklyn Center
Location	Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates	45°04′09.3″N 93°20′27.9″W / 45.069250°N 93.341083°W / 45.069250; -93.341083
Date	April 11, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-04-11) c. 2:00 p.m. CST (19:00 UTC)
Attack type	Homicide by shooting, manslaughter, police brutality
Deaths	Daunte Demetrius Wright
Injured	Alayna Albrecht-Payton
Perpetrator	Kimberly Ann Potter[1]
Verdict	Guilty on both counts
Convictions	First-degree manslaughter predicated on reckless use/handling of a firearm Second-degree manslaughter
Trial	MN v. Potter 27-CR-21-7460[2]
Sentence	2 years in prison (paroled after 1+1⁄3 years)
Litigation	Civil lawsuits settled by Brooklyn Center: Wright's family for $3.25 million Albrecht-Payton for $350,000 Tim Gannon for $55,000

On April 11, 2021, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black American man, was fatally shot in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, by police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop and attempted arrest for an outstanding warrant. After a brief struggle with officers, Potter shot Wright in the chest once at close range. Wright then drove off a short distance until his vehicle collided with another and hit a concrete barrier. An officer administered CPR to Wright; paramedics were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Potter said she meant to use her service Taser, shouting "Taser! Taser! Taser!" just before firing her service pistol instead.

The shooting sparked protests in Brooklyn Center and renewed ongoing demonstrations against police shootings in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, leading to citywide and regional curfews. Demonstrations took place over several days, and spread to cities across the United States. Two days after the incident, Potter and Brooklyn Center police chief Tim Gannon resigned from their positions.

Potter was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter at a jury trial in Hennepin County. She received a two-year sentence, of which she served 16 months incarcerated. Wright's family settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the City of Brooklyn Center for $3.25 million. The passenger in Wright's car, who was injured in the collision, settled a civil suit with the city for $350,000.

Public outrage over Wright's death, one of several high-profile police killings of black Americans in the early 2020s, helped advance discussion of police reform measures. In Brooklyn Center, the police department changed its policy on arresting people for misdemeanor offenses and city council introduced alternative public safety measures, but several proposed reforms failed to be implemented. In Minnesota and elsewhere in the United States, Wright's death led to changes in Taser procedures and other policing policies.