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

Kim Potter is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.

Last Updated: December 23, 2021, 6:41 PM EST

The trial of former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter charged in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop, continues with Potter taking the stand to testify in her own defense.

Potter, 49, is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 incident. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

PHOTO: A screen grab from police video which shows the traffic stop during which Daunte Wright is fatally shot by Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter (not visible in this frame) in Minneapolis, Dec. 8, 2021.
A screen grab from police video which shows the traffic stop during which Daunte Wright is fatally shot by Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter (not visible in this frame) is shown as evidence during the opening statements in the trial of Potter in the April 11, 2021 death of Wright in Minneapolis, Dec. 8, 2021.
Court TV via AP, Pool
PHOTO: Signs stand on the south lawn, Nov. 30, 2021, at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis where jury selection begins for former police officer Kim Potter, who shot and killed motorist Daunte Wright.
Signs stand on the south lawn, Nov. 30, 2021, at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis where jury selection begins for former suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter, who says she meant to grab her Taser instead of her handgun when she shot and killed motorist Daunte Wright.
Jim Mone/AP

The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine and for second-degree manslaughter, it's 10 years and a $20,000 fine.

Wright's death reignited protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., as the killing took place just outside of Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, was taking place.

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Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Dec 21, 2021, 5:47 PM EST

Jury asks question about not reaching consensus

The jury asked two questions at 5 p.m. ET.

"The first question is: 'If the jury cannot reach consensus, what is the guidance around how long and what steps should be taken?'" Judge Regina Chu read. 

She then re-read some of the juror instructions.  

"You should discuss the case with one another and deliberate with a view toward reaching an agreement if you can do so without violating your individual judgment," Chu said. "You should decide the case for yourself but only after you have discussed the case with your fellow jurors and have carefully considered their views." 

She added, "You should not hesitate to reexamine your views and change your opinion if you believe they are erroneous, but you should not surrender your honest opinion, simply because other jurors disagree or merely to reach a verdict." 

The jury also asked if the zip ties can be removed from Potter's gun, which has been submitted as evidence so it can be held out of the evidence box. 

Chu said yes.

Dec 21, 2021, 10:29 AM EST

Jury deliberations resume

The jury has reconvened for its second day of deliberations. The court will not be called into session Tuesday morning.

Dec 20, 2021, 8:27 PM EST

Jury ends deliberations for the day

The jury has ended deliberations for the day after approximately five hours. They will resume Tuesday morning.

During these deliberations, the jury is fully sequestered. They will be allowed to call family members so long as they don’t talk about the trial.

Dec 20, 2021, 5:09 PM EST

Jury asks about psychologist's interview with Potter

Jurors collectively asked the judge what the date was of Kim Potter's interview with Dr. Laurence Miller, a psychologist who served as a defense witness.

"All the evidence is in," Judge Regina Chu told the jury. "So you should rely on your collective memory as to what the evidence is."

Miller interviewed Potter after the April 11 fatal shooting of Daunte Wright. 

Prosecutors wanted to question Miller about the interview, but Chu sustained the defense’s objection against the line of questioning. 

PHOTO: Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter testifies in court in Minneapolis, Dec. 17, 2021.
Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter testifies in court in Minneapolis, Dec. 17, 2021. Potter is charged with first and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 shooting of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist, following a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.
Court TV, via AP, Pool

The interview was brought up by the prosecution in the cross-examination of Potter on the witness stand.

Prosecutor Erin Eldridge asked Potter about the differences between her answers in her interview with Miller and her testimony on the stand.

Eldridge asked Potter why she told Miller she didn't know why she decided to use her stun gun, when she testified before the jury that she used it because she saw fear on an accompanying officer's face.

Eldridge also asked Potter about telling Miller that she saw her gun in her right hand during the incident, though Potter testified that she did not remember much about the incident.

 "I was distraught," Potter responded. "I wasn't in a good place."

Eldridge also asked Potter about her resignation following the shooting, in which Potter told Miller that she did it to "protect her police family."