Officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright arrested, will be charged with manslaughter

A vehicle is towed away from the scene where Daunte Wright was killed on April 11, 2021 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
(Image credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Kim Potter, the white Minnesota police officer who shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, has reportedly been arrested and will be charged with second-degree manslaughter.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed to the The New York Times that Potter was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, and Washington County prosecutor Pete Orput told the Times the complaint will be filed later in the day.

This comes after Potter resigned on Tuesday after she fatally shot Wright, a Black man, during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Tim Gannon, the Brooklyn Center Police chief who has since announced his resignation, said that Potter appeared to have had the "intention to deploy" her Taser, but "instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Police also released video of the incident, which showed Potter shouting "Taser" and saying, "Holy s---. I just shot him." Wright's killing has sparked three nights of protests around police headquarters in Brooklyn Center.

According to the Star Tribune, the charge Potter is facing carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.