Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter has received a two-year sentence for the killing of Daunte Wright.
Judge Regina Chu during a hearing on Friday announced a 24-month sentence for Potter, 16 months of which she will serve in prison and the rest she will serve on supervised release.
Potter was found guilty in December on charges of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter after she fatally shot Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop in April 2021. She says she mistook her gun for a taser. Prosecutors argued Potter should be sentenced to seven years, while Potter's legal team argued she should receive probation, according to The New York Times.
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The judge called this "one of the saddest cases I've had in my 20 years on the bench," saying that Potter "made a tragic error" that she is "extremely remorseful" about. She also said her sentencing decision was "extremely difficult" but that she took into account that Potter "does not present a danger of future crimes."
Members of Wright's family, including his mother, delivered emotional remarks during the sentencing hearing. "I'll never be able to forgive you," Katie Wright told Potter. Potter also spoke, tearfully telling the family she was "so sorry that I brought the death of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew … My heart is broken for all of you."
After the sentencing, Wright's mother, Katie, slammed the judge's decision, saying the family is "very disappointed in the outcome."
"Yes we got a conviction, and we thank everybody for that," she said. "But again, this isn't okay. This is the problem with our justice system today. White women tears trumps justice."
Wright's father, Arbuey, also expressed disappointment, saying, "This lady got a slap on the wrist, and we're still every night sitting around crying, waiting for my son to come home."
