Kim Potter, an ex-cop, was sentenced to two years in prison for the murder of Daunte Wright

Kim Potter, a former Minnesota cop convicted of manslaughter for shooting and killing Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, received a two-year sentence on Friday, far less than the seven-year sentence sought by prosecutors.

Potter, who has worked for the Brooklyn Center Police Department for 26 years, will spend 16 months in prison and another eight months on supervised release. She will also be fined $1,000.

The 24-month sentence is significantly less than the state’s presumptive sentence for first-degree manslaughter, which is 86 months or seven years.

Judge Regina Chu emphasized the case’s complexities in her statement, contrasting it with other high-profile police killings such as George Floyd’s.

“This is not a cop who was found guilty of murder for pinning someone down for nine and a half minutes while gasping for air,” she said. “This is a police officer who made a tragic error.”

Chu, who described it as one of the “saddest cases” she has seen in her 20 years on the bench, acknowledged that the shorter sentence will be met with opposition.

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“Daunte Wright’s life is in no way diminished by the fact that I granted a significant downward departure. His life was significant “she stated

Potter remained silent as her sentence was read aloud, but murmurs could be heard from the back of the courtroom.

Potter had tearfully addressed Wright’s family earlier in the hearing, apologizing to them as she had done during the trial.

“I am so sorry that I brought the death of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, and the rest of your family,” she said to Daunte Wright’s family.

Wright’s family was also given the opportunity to speak, and they requested that the judge impose the maximum sentence.

Katie Ann Wright, Potter’s mother, said, “I will not give her the respect of calling her by her name.” She referred to Potter as “the defendant” throughout her statement.

“Daunte was repeatedly referred to as ‘the driver,’ as if killing him wasn’t enough to dehumanize him. She never even mentioned his name. And I’ll never be able to forgive you for that. And I’ll never forgive you for the things you’ve taken from us “Katie Ann Wright expressed her thoughts.

Potter’s 26-year career with the Brooklyn Center Police Department was cited by Wright’s family.

Arbuey Wright, Kim Potter’s father, said, “Kim Potter was trained, and was trained to prevent this type of thing from ever happening.” “She had been a cop for longer than my son had been alive.”

In a statement released Friday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office led the prosecution against Potter, said he accepted the sentence and urged others to do the same.

“I don’t ask you to agree with her decision,” he said, “which in no way diminishes the truth of the jury’s verdict.” “There is no reason to rejoice because no one has won. We’ve all suffered losses, but none more so than Daunte Wright and those who loved him.”

Potter, a white woman, was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter in December after fatally shooting Wright during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021, with her handgun instead of a Taser.

Potter and an officer she was training pulled over Wright and his girlfriend, Alayna Albrecht-Payton, for having expired tags and an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. Officers discovered a warrant for Wright’s arrest after conducting a search for his name. Wright had missed a court appearance on misdemeanor charges of carrying a handgun without a permit and fleeing from police.

The officers struggled with Wright as he tried to get back into his car during the arrest, according to graphic body camera footage from the incident. Before shooting, Potter was heard yelling “Taser!” and then appeared to realize she had fired a gunshot.

“Oh, my god. I fired a shot at him. I fucked up and grabbed the wrong fucking gun “In the video, Potter can be heard saying. “Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God I’ll be going to jail.”

Wright’s death reignited protests in Minnesota, which had been rocked by unrest the year before over the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis cop.

Potter’s defense attorneys admitted that she “made a mistake” during her trial, but ultimately blamed Wright for attempting to flee during the arrest. Prosecutors emphasized Potter’s actions’ fatal consequences.

In closing arguments, Erin Eldridge, a Minnesota assistant attorney general, said, “This was no little oopsie.” “This wasn’t a case of scribbling the wrong date on a check. This was not a case of mistyping a password. This was a massive blunder, a colossal blunder of epic proportions.”

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