The former police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright was taken into custody and charged with second-degree manslaughter Wednesday, in a killing that has sparked four nights of protests in this Minneapolis suburb.
Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, posted bond and was released from the Hennepin County jail Wednesday evening. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under Minnesota law. Ms. Potter resigned Tuesday.
Police have described the shooting of Mr. Wright as accidental, with Ms. Potter mistaking her gun for a Taser; body-camera footage showed Ms. Potter, 48, shouting the word Taser several times before firing her gun.
“Officer Potter abrogated her responsibility to protect the public when she used her firearm rather than her Taser,” said Imran Ali, the assistant criminal division chief in the Washington County Attorney’s office, in a statement. “Her action caused the unlawful killing of Mr. Wright and she must be held accountable.”