MINNEAPOLIS — The attorneys for Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer who is accused of shooting and killing 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April, have filed a motion for the court to dismiss a first-degree manslaughter charge that was added earlier this month.
Potter was initially charged with second-degree manslaughter, and on Sept. 2 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that a first-degree manslaughter charge would be added, saying he believed Potter acted recklessly while handling a firearm, warranting the amendment to the complaint.
According to court documents, Potter's attorneys argue that Potter fired her gun accidentally, mistaking it for her Taser. The amended criminal complaint supports this claim, saying Potter believed she was reaching for her Taser when she pulled out her handgun and subsequently shot Wright. Immediately after the shooting, the complaint says Potter said, "I shot him. I'm going to prison. I killed a boy."
Two days after the fatal shooting, both Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned from their positions.
The complaint also states Potter received "a substantial amount of training" in both the use of firearms and Tasers. The training included how to draw, aim and use each weapon correctly, and the risks of confusing the two.
Six months before the shooting, Potter completed two Taser-specific training courses.
Potter is scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 30.
