BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon is suing the city for allegedly forcing him to resign for not immediately firing officer Kim Potter after she shot and killed Daunte Wright.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Hennepin County District Court, claims Gannon resigned after the Brooklyn Center City Council approved a motion to oust him following several meetings. The lawsuit also claims Gannon was racially discriminated against, saying statements made at one of the special sessions were "false, made with malice, racially divisive, and were made with the intent to imply that (Gannon's) actions in response to the protests did not serve the City's Black community members," the lawsuit reads.
Potter shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. Potter was later found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter and was later sentenced to two years in prison.
According to the lawsuit, Gannon was asked during a meeting if he was going to fire Potter, a senior patrol officer, but he refused due to her collective bargaining agreement. Gannon maintained that stance during a media briefing on April 12, saying he wouldn't immediately take action "because of the procedural rights she was afforded under her CBA and that he would not take action that violated those procedural rights," the lawsuit reads.
Gannon is seeking $50,000 in damages.
On Tuesday, Wright's former girlfriend Alayna Beth Albrecht-Payton filed a lawsuit against Kim Potter and the city of Brooklyn Center, claiming Potter's conduct left her with severe injuries and PTSD that continues more than a year after the fatal shooting.
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