Celebrities are speaking out after the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop on Sunday (April 11).
Wright was killed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota — 10 miles south of Minneapolis where the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who faces murder charges in the death of George Floyd, is ongoing.
In a statement released Monday evening (April 12), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified Kim Potter as the officer who shot Wright. He was reportedly pulled over for expired tags when officers discovered a warrant. When they attempted to arrest Wright, Potter, a 26-year veteran of the department, shot him, claiming she meant to use her taser.
Barack and Michelle Obama shared a joint statement on Tuesday (April 13) addressing the shooting, saying their "hearts are heavy" following "yet another shooting of Black man."
"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," their statement read in part.
Beyonce also paid tribute to Wright on her website.
See more statements from celebrities, including Demi Lovato, Kim Kardashian and more below.
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