The police officer authorities say fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop on Sunday (April 11) has been identified as Kim Potter.
In a statement released Monday evening (April 12), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified Potter, a 26-year veteran of the department, as the officer who shot Wright after he was pulled over for expired tags. A warrant was discovered by officers who attempted to arrest Wright when Potter shot him.
City officials released body camera footage from the deadly incident at a press conference on Monday (April 12). Journalists and community advocates pressed Police Chief Tim Gannon on the reason for the stop which led to Wright’s death, given the backlog in getting updated tags amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Advocates called for the officer’s immediate termination, though Gannon and other officials would be completing investigative protocols before decisions were to be made. Gannon also called Potter’s use of a firearm instead of a taser was an “accidental discharge.”
Brooklyn Center City Manager Fired
City Manager Curt Boganey was “relieved of his duties” after an urgent city council meeting was called Monday evening. The council voted to put Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott in charge of the city’s police force, which had been under Boganey’s charge given the structure of the city’s government.
Mayor Elliott confirmed the move on Twitter after Councilmember Dan Ryan made the announcement during a virtual council meeting, as reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune. Boganey had reportedly served in that position since 2003.
Elliott said Boganey's termination will "streamline" things and "establish a chain of command and leadership."
Protests Continue, Other Cities Join In Solidarity
Members of the community also questioned the use of flash bangs, tear gas, and rubber bullets on protesters. The National Guard has also been deployed to Brooklyn Center, which is just a few miles outside of Minneapolis. Protests entered their second night after the body camera footage was released and calls for justice continued not only for Daunte, but also for George Floyd whose murderer is on trial ten miles away.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz established a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Tuesday (April 13) for three counties that include Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, and St. Paul.
Hundreds of protesters gathered throughout Brooklyn Center. According to USA Today, 40 arrests were made for curfew violation and rioting. Protests in New York City, Louisville, Kentucky where Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police, Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, California also took place. The Oakland protest was held at Oscar Grant Plaza in honor of Oscar Grant who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2009.
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