Outcome reached in Kim Potter trial over Daunte Wright's death

Prosecutor Erin Eldridge took the jury through the elements that the state needed to prove in order for the jury to convict former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter on first- and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright.

The first-degree manslaughter charge alleges that Wright's death was caused by the defendant committing a crime of reckless handling or use of a firearm, Eldridge told the jury. 

The crime must also be committed "with such force or violence that the death of another person or great bodily harm to another person was reasonably foreseeable," according to Eldridge. 

"She commits a conscious or intentional act in connection with the handling or use of a firearm that creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk that she is aware of and disregards," said Eldridge. "Like putting your hand on a weapon … pulling a weapon, pointing that weapon, pulling the trigger of that weapon. Each and every one of those things in and by itself is an intentional act."

The second-degree manslaughter charge alleges that Potter acted with “culpable negligence” in Wright's death. 

Eldridge said Wright's death was caused by Potter's actions, which she says "created an unreasonable risk and consciously took a chance of causing death or great bodily harm." 

Eldridge argued that Potter disregarded the differences between her weapons and held the gun at Wright for several seconds before shooting. 

The shooting, Eldridge also argued, put Wright, as well as the others in and around the vehicle in danger. 

Sgt. Mychal Johnson and Wright's girlfriend Alayna Albrecht-Payton were behind Wright when he was shot. Officer Anthony Luckey previously testified that he was hit with a casing from the bullet that Potter shot Wright with.

An intent to kill is not required in either charge, the prosecution said.

Eldridge continued, "The defendant's failure to recognize she was drawing and handling and firing her gun despite hours and hours of training; despite years and years of experience; despite the clear differences between the two, and despite the opportunity to change course and correct, and despite all the warnings and cautions against doing this very thing, is part of what establishes the defendant's recklessness and culpable negligence in killing Daunte Wright."

The prosecution started their closing argument by reminding the jury of how the Wright family's loss will be felt in the upcoming holiday weekend.

"Daunte Wright's parents, Katie and Arbuey Wright, will have an empty seat at their table this holiday season because the defendant shot and killed him," said prosecutor Erin Eldridge.

The prosecution hammered down on what they say was Potter's "negligence" and recklessness, to convince the jury to convict her on the first- and second-degree manslaughter charges.

Potter and the defense maintain that she accidentally pulled her Taser when she fatally shot Wright with a firearm.

"That's culpable negligence, and that's reckless handling of a firearm, resulting in death," Eldridge said. "This case is about the defendant's rash and reckless conduct. It's not about her being a nice person or a good person -- even nice people have to obey the law."

Eldridge reminded the jury that Potter "was no rookie" and that it "wasn't her first day on the job."

Potter was a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department who served as a field training officer.

"She was trained on how to use her gun and how to use it safely," said Eldridge. " "Every year for 26 years, she was trained on use of force, and every year for 19 years, she was trained on using her Taser -- and using that properly. Every year, she saw the PowerPoints, every year, she was told about the risk of weapon confusion and that pulling a gun instead of a Taser could kill somebody."

Eldridge added that Potter "was aware of the risks associated with her weapons" and of "the risk of incapacitating a driver behind the wheel for risk of collateral injuries, and the risk of drawing and firing a gun, instead of a Taser."

Attorneys are making the final case to jurors after eight days of testimony in the trial of former Brooklyn Center Kim Potter, who fatally shot Daunte Wright.

Judge Regina Chu has said that jurors will not deliberate on Dec. 24 or Dec. 25, and they will return after the holiday if a verdict has not been reached.

The jury is composed of nine white jurors, one Black juror and two Asian jurors. The two alternates are both white. The jury is less diverse than the one that convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. 

Chauvin's murder trial was in progress when Potter killed Wright.

As Kim Potter broke down on the stand, prosecutor Erin Eldridge asked, "You knew that deadly force was unreasonable and unwarranted" in the killing of Daunte Wright.

"I'm sorry," Potter said through sobs. "I didn't want to hurt anybody."

Eldridge then pressed, "You testified … that after you saw a scared look on Sgt. [Mychal] Johnson's face, that's why you decided to use the Taser?"

"Yes," Potter replied.

"But you also told Dr. [Laurence] Miller that you don't know why you decided to use the Taser?" Eldridge said.

She asked Potter why she remembered some aspects of the shooting in earlier conversations but not on the witness stand.

"You said that there are a lot of things that you don't remember, that you directly testified that your memory came back when you saw your husband that day," Eldridge asked. "But didn't you tell Dr. Miller that you remember seeing the gun in your right hand?"

Potter replied: "I don't remember my interview with him. I was distraught. I wasn't in a good place."

Body camera footage shows Potter sobbing and crying following the shooting, saying she's going to go to jail. Eldridge asked Potter about this.

"You didn't behave like someone who had just saved certain Johnson's life, did you?" she asked. "You never asked Sergeant Johnson if he was OK, right?"