Kim Potter sentenced to two years in prison for killing of Daunte Wright News
Kim Potter sentenced to two years in prison for killing of Daunte Wright

A Minnesota district court sentenced former police officer Kim Potter to two years in prison on Friday. Potter, the officer responsible for killing Daunte Wright last April, was sentenced on the charge of first-degree manslaughter.

Convicted in December for first- and second-degree manslaughter, Potter was sentenced only on the more serious charge per Minnesota law. State sentencing guidelines place the maximum for first-degree manslaughter at 15 years with the presumptive sentencing at about seven. Judge Regina Chu justified a lesser sentence on the grounds that the killing was a tragic accident. She described the case as “one of the saddest . . . I’ve had on my 20 years on the bench.” The official departure report lists “crime less onerous than usual” as the reason for a reduced sentence.

Daunte Wright was fatally shot in a Minneapolis suburb last April after Potter and Officer Anthony Luckey, who was being trained by Potter, made a traffic stop after spotting expired tags on Wright’s vehicle and an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror, a misdemeanor in Minnesota. The officers ran a search on Wright and discovered an arrest warrant for a missed court date. After Wright began resisting arrest and tried to drive away, Potter threatened to use her taser, pulling her firearm instead and shooting Wright once in the chest.

The killing occurred while Derek Chauvin was on trial for the murder of George Floyd and resulted in substantial protests in Brooklyn Center. Later the same month, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a probe into the Minneapolis Police Department.

At the sentencing, Potter directly addressed Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, expressing remorse for her actions. Wright’s parents, however, were disappointed by the court’s leniency.

Potter received a 58-day credit on her sentencing for time served between conviction and Friday’s sentencing. The judge also stipulated that Wright can be released after 16 months and serve the remaining eight months on parole.