A life lost and time in prison?

According to statista.com, around 830 people have been shot and killed by police this year as of November, which is not a shot at police, just a fact. One of those people killed is Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old who was shot while driving in Brooklyn Center Minnesota. The 49-year-old Police Officer Kim Potter  is currently going through the court process, anxious to know what will happen.

Back in April, Wright had been driving around Brooklyn Center with a female passenger who was supposedly his girlfriend. Officers pulled him over for a traffic violation and air fresheners hanging from his rear view that led to a discovery about a warrant out for him. As officers attempted to detain him, Wright jumped back into his car and started it again. Multiple officers got into a scuffle with him, which led to Potter yelling warnings about tasing him. She then said, “taser taser taser!” when she shot him with her gun in his chest instead.

As Wright sped off in his car, Potter immediately froze to her spot with the realization of what she had just done. She begins to sob as she tells the other officers what had happened. Potter then goes to the street curb and falls to the ground weeping, as Wright crashes his car down the street. One of the cops followed Wright’s car where he had collided with another vehicle and attempted to do CPR to no avail. Wright was confirmed dead at the scene. His girlfriend was also injured in the crash.

Sophomore Lillianna Godfrey states, “I’ve never really heard a lot about police accidentally shooting people they are trying to arrest, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.” She continues with a sadder tone, “I feel so bad for his family; I can’t imagine what they’re going through.” Godfrey concludes, “I’m not exactly sure what to think about Potter when it comes to this situation. She still took a young man’s life.”

Marches and posters in honor of Wright were made  demanding justice. Potter’s address quickly got leaked on social media, causing her to flee her home. She quit her job two days after the incident, and so did Police Chief Tim Gannon. On Apr.14, Potter was arrested, being charged with second-degree manslaughter, but was released at $100,000 bail. On Sept.2, prosecutor’s at Hennepin County added a first-degree manslaughter charge. This will be the second time in Minnesota’s history where they are allowing the courtroom to live streamed. The jury is hoping to have the trial completed around Christmas Eve.