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A juror who helped convict former Minnesota officer Kimberly Potter in the April 2021 killing of Daunte Wright is speaking out for the first time.
The jury in the nationally-watched trial found Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, was found guilty on first- and second-degree manslaughter charges after she fatally shot Wright during a traffic stop earlier this year.
The unidentified juror spoke to NBC News affiliate KARE 11, revealing what went on in the decision to convict the former cop, speaking to the outlet on the condition of anonymity citing fear of public animosity.
"Initially for both counts we were predominantly guilty," the juror said. "For Count 1, it was seven for guilty and the remainders were either 'not guilty' or didn't know. Then, for Count 2, eight said guilty, two said not guilty and two didn't know," the juror explained.
The juror said that most of the others seated in the case were in favor of a guilty verdict immediately after closing arguments, but things got complicated when they started reading the law.
"The day that we asked the judge what would happen if we couldn't reach a decision, we were evenly split on manslaughter 1 at four guilty, for not guilty and four 'I have no idea,'" the juror told the outlet.
"And at that point we were just arguing semantics and kind of in circles. ... Those last couple of days were literally just focusing in on the language of the law," they said.
The juror also noted that while they acknowledged Potter's emotion on the stand, it was her more than two decades of experience that came into play in the decision.
"I don't want to speak for all the jurors, but I think we believed she was a good person and even believed she was a good cop," the juror said. "We felt she made a mistake, and that a mistake does not absolve you from the fact that she did commit a crime."
The juror noted that they actually held Potter's gun and taser to feel the difference in weight for themselves, which further pushed them to their ultimate decision to convict Potter.
Potter faces up to 15 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has been set for February 18.
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