Days before Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd during a police encounter in Minneapolis, an officer by the name of Kim Potter killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Immediately after the shooting, Potter and the suburb's police chief resigned. Since then, Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and remained at her home in Champlin, Minnesota.
In the aftermath of Potter killing Wright, security measures have been upgraded at her home. Cops remained posted outside of her home. Fencing has been placed around the perimeter of her home and concrete barricades were put up as well. Recent reports have pinpointed the cost of these security measures at $9,236.
Champlin spokeswoman Ashley Wagner has said that security is needed to "protect against a fire in a residential neighborhood if anyone decided to carry through on threats and also to provide officers with a protected place in case of a violent crowd."
"If we receive credible information of a threat to any person or property in Champlin it is our responsibility to provide the necessary protection across the community," Wagner told Fox News.
In spite of Wagner's explanation, there have been no reported large-scale fires in the area since Potter killed Wright. Adding on, the city has not provided residents a protected place in case they endure excessive force at the hands of a law enforcement officer.
Some of Potter's neighbors have raised issues with the security as well. Nearby residents suggested that the fencing and barricades would actually attract more unwanted attention to the neighborhood, rather than keep it safe.
"I'm not real comfortable with that being done. I know she needs protection but it's kind of letting everybody know this is her house," one neighbor told KSTP in Illinois.
"I'm surprised, it just seems like there is a lot of protection but like I said earlier, I don't know what I don't know. Face value it seems like overkill but there could be things behind the scenes that I don't know about," a nearby resident by the name of Tom McGuire added.
As protests continue, it is unclear when or if the fence and barricade will come down.