Polk Protesters Fly To Minnesota In Wake Of Daunte Wright's Death

POLK COUNTY, FL — A local group of demonstrators, Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk, Inc., are going to Minnesota following the death of Daunte Wright, the group said on its Facebook page.

Wednesday, the Star Tribune said former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, 48, will face a charge of second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine.

Wright, 20, was shot and killed Sunday in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, by police officer Kim Potter, according to Patch partner, Minnesota Reformer.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said Monday Wright's death was due to an "accidental discharge" of Potter's service weapon, the outlet reported. The officer thought she was reaching for her Taser but grabbed her gun instead, and killed Wright with one shot.

Police had a warrant out for Wright's arrest, according to police. They stopped him near the 6300 block of Orchard Avenue in Brooklyn Center. Officers tried to put him in handcuffs, but he got back into his vehicle. Potter took out her firearm and shot him, the news outlet reported. The car drove several blocks before crashing into another vehicle. Wright was pronounced dead at the scene.

Body camera footage from the shooting was released Monday. In the video, which readers should be warned is extremely graphic, Potter yells "taser!" "taser!" before she is heard yelling "I shot him!" Potter meant to draw and shoot her Taser but instead fired a round into Wright, according to Gannon.

Hundreds of protesters marched at the Brooklyn Center police headquarters Sunday night following the killing. They were met with tear gas and rubber bullets discharged by police. Officers said it was an unlawful assembly.

"As we prepare to make our way to Minnesota, we ask all of the Polk County residents say a prayer for us," BLMRP posted on Facebook. "We are going to support the Wright family and stand with them as they fight for justice for Daunte.

Carl Soto, a BLMRP member told WFLA that this is just a continuation of the endless cycle of justice here in America.

"Protesting is a start," Soto told the TV outlet. "It doesn't need to be just one day or two days. It needs to continue until we see a change.

Potter and Gannon resigned on Tuesday, according to the Southwest Minneapolis Patch.

Wright's police-related death happened as the Derek Chauvin trial occurs nearby in Minnesota. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder for killing George Floyd in May 2020.

Related Patch Story:

• Ex-Cop Kim Potter Will Face Charge In Death Of Daunte Wright

William Bornhoft with Southwest Minneapolis Patch contributed to this story.