Officer who shot Daunte Wright makes first Court appearance

Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, made her first appearance at a Hennepin County court on Thursday.

Wearing a plaid shirt, Potter confirmed her presence during a brief online hearing and waved to the judge from a table in her lawyer’s office. Potter, 48, was not asked any questions about the shooting or her intended plea.

Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, told attendees, “The last few days, everybody has asked me what we want … everybody keeps saying justice, but unfortunately, there’s never going to be justice for us. The justice would bring our son home to us.”

The family had previously called for murder charges against Potter.

The family does “want accountability 100-percent accountability, like my sister said, the highest accountability, but even then, when that happens, if that even happens, we’re still going to bury our son,” she added.

Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered around the Brooklyn Center police headquarters since Sunday.

About two dozen people were arrested Wednesday on charges including curfew violations. The protests were smaller and more peaceful than on Tuesday night, when 72 people were arrested.

Wright’s death occurred about 20km (12 miles) away from the Hennepin County Government Center, where the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is taking place.

Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd, who was Black, while he was in police custody on May 25, 2020. His death set off an international protest movement against racism and police brutality.

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