Potter jury to return Thursday for 4th day of deliberations

MINNEAPOLIS – The assemblage astatine the proceedings of a suburban Minneapolis constabulary officer who changeable and killed Black motorist Daunte Wright was to instrumentality Thursday for a 4th time of deliberations arsenic the Christmas vacation loomed.

The assemblage weighing Kim Potter's destiny got the lawsuit Monday pursuing closing arguments and has deliberated for astir 23 hours.

Potter, who is white, said she meant to usage her Taser connected Wright alternatively than her gun. She 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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The justice has ordered that the mostly achromatic jury beryllium sequestered during deliberations — meaning jurors 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.

However, Chu told jurors astatine the commencement of the proceedings that they would person clip disconnected connected Christmas Eve and implicit the Christmas weekend. She has not indicated that she would alteration that program if deliberations were ongoing.

“I deliberation the vacation volition enactment unit connected them to agree,” Joe Friedberg, a Minneapolis defence lawyer who is not progressive successful the lawsuit but is pursuing it, said Wednesday.

Jurors gave a hint Tuesday of trouble reaching agreement, erstwhile they asked Chu what to bash if they could not agree. She sent them backmost to support trying. The tribunal reported nary questions from the assemblage connected Wednesday.

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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, created the conditions that led to his ain death.

Wright's decease acceptable disconnected aggravated protests successful Brooklyn Center conscionable arsenic adjacent Minneapolis was connected borderline implicit Derek Chauvin's proceedings successful George Floyd's death.

Potter, who resigned 2 days aft Wright's death, testified Friday that she “didn’t privation to wounded anybody” and that she was “sorry it happened."

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Chu told jurors that the authorities doesn’t person to beryllium Potter tried to termination Wright.

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

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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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