Kim Potter faces first degree manslaughter and second degree manslaughter for shoot dead people Daunte Wright in a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
After eight days of testimony and 33 witnesses, attorneys for both sides brought their cases before a jury deliberation. Here’s what they said:
Prosecute
Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge told jurors during her final argument that the case was “very simple,” it was about “recklessly handling a gun” and ” regrettable negligence” by Potter.
Eldridge told the jury that the defense will try to convince them that Wright is “responsible” for what happened to him on April 11. “We are here for the actions of the defendant. , not Daunte Wright,” she continued.
Eldridge said that they wouldn’t be here if Potter “followed her training … heed… and weigh the risks”, before shooting Wright.
Prosecutors argued that Potter’s actions were unreasonable because a “reasonable person” knew “you don’t pull the trigger, blindly pull the trigger of a weapon without being aware of the risk.”
She added that “an accident is still a crime” if the defendant’s actions were reckless or negligent.
Defense
Defense attorney Earl Gray argued that Potter had the right to use deadly force. He stated that her actions should not be seen as reckless because she “didn’t know she had a gun.”
He blamed Daunte Wright, who, Gray said, “randomly fled” and “intentionally” left the scene after he was shot as he tried to drive away.
Gray said that Potter “made a mistake” when she shot Daunte Wright and that “the mistake was not a crime”, pointing to “character” witnesses whom the defense called “had known Potter for many years” and “think her world.” He says his client is a “moderate person” and “not a bully”.
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