Jurors at Kim Potter trial to resume work Wednesday

MINNEAPOLIS – Jurors successful the proceedings of a suburban Minneapolis constabulary officer who changeable and killed Black motorist Daunte Wright were to statesman their 3rd time of deliberations Wednesday, aft a question to the justice suggested immoderate are acrophobic they whitethorn not beryllium capable to scope agreement.

The assemblage asked Judge Regina Chu Tuesday day however to proceed if they can't scope a verdict. The question came aft astir 12 hours of deliberations that began Monday, and the justice told jurors to proceed their work.

Former Brooklyn Center serviceman Kim Potter, who is white, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted of the astir superior charge, Potter, 49, would look a condemnation of astir 7 years nether authorities guidelines, though prosecutors person said they volition question more.

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Potter said she meant to usage her Taser connected Wright alternatively than her gun, and jurors had a 2nd question for Chu: Could Potter's handgun, fixed to them on with her Taser arsenic exhibits, beryllium freed from the zip ties holding it successful an grounds container truthful they could grip it?

Prosecutors had presented grounds connected the differences betwixt the weapon and the Taser, including weight, feel, size, color. Prosecutor Erin Eldridge had said successful her closing statement that the jurors would beryllium capable to clasp them, “to get a consciousness for the two, and to get a consciousness of each those differences that you heard astir successful court, and spot for yourselves however antithetic they truly are.”

Chu said that they could grip the gun, implicit an objection from Potter lawyer Paul Engh, who argued that it should stay successful the container “for information purposes.”

Rachel Moran, a prof astatine the University of St. Thomas School of Law, cautioned against making excessively overmuch of the jurors' question astir being incapable to scope a verdict. She noted that the jurors didn’t accidental they were astatine an impasse.

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The justice is "going to fto them support deliberating if they don’t explicit interest oregon distress astir however it’s going,” Moran said. She besides said their involvement successful holding the weapon indicates they're inactive consenting to see immoderate facts.

The justice has ordered that the assemblage beryllium sequestered during deliberations — meaning they stay nether the court’s supervision successful an undisclosed edifice and cannot instrumentality location until they person reached a verdict oregon the justice has determined they can't scope one.

During closing arguments, prosecutors accused Potter of a “blunder of epic proportions” successful Wright's decease successful an April 11 postulation halt — but said a mistake was nary defense.

Potter's attorneys countered that Wright, who was attempting to get distant from officers arsenic they sought to handcuff him for an outstanding warrant connected a weapons charge, “caused the full incident.”

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The mostly achromatic jury got the lawsuit aft astir a week and a fractional of grounds astir an apprehension that went awry, mounting disconnected aggravated protests successful Brooklyn Center conscionable arsenic adjacent Minneapolis was connected borderline implicit Derek Chauvin's proceedings successful George Floyd's death. Potter resigned 2 days aft Wright's death.

Potter testified Friday that she “didn’t privation to wounded anybody” and that she was “sorry it happened."

Chu told jurors that intent is not portion of the charges and that the authorities doesn’t person to beryllium Potter tried to termination Wright.

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The justice said for first-degree manslaughter, prosecutors indispensable beryllium that Potter caused Wright’s decease portion committing the transgression of reckless handling of a firearm. This means they indispensable beryllium that she committed a conscious oregon intentional enactment portion handling oregon utilizing a firearm that creates a important oregon unjustifiable hazard that she was alert of and disregarded, and that she endangered safety.

For second-degree manslaughter, prosecutors indispensable beryllium she acted with culpable negligence, meaning she consciously took a accidental of causing decease oregon large bodily harm.

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Associated Press writer Kathleen Foody successful Chicago contributed to this story. Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin.

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Find the AP’s afloat sum of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright

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