Potter trial enters second week with medical examiner on tap

MINNEAPOLIS – The proceedings of a Minnesota constabulary serviceman charged successful the shooting decease of Daunte Wright opens its 2nd week of grounds Monday, with a aesculapian examiner expected to locomotion jurors done Wright's autopsy.

Wright, 20, was slain April 11 aft being pulled implicit by constabulary successful the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center for expired licence sheet tags and an aerial freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Kim Potter, 49, is charged with manslaughter.

Potter, a 26-year veteran, said she meant to gully her Taser to halt Wright aft helium pulled distant and got backmost successful his car arsenic officers tried to apprehension him connected a warrant for a limb charge. Potter is achromatic and Wright was Black. His death, which came portion Derek Chauvin was connected proceedings successful adjacent Minneapolis successful George Floyd's death, acceptable disconnected respective nights of aggravated protests successful Brooklyn Center.

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Prosecutors spent the archetypal week of grounds showing jurors constabulary video of the postulation stop, successful which an serviceman successful training, Anthony Luckey, took the pb nether Potter's guidance.

The video showed the captious moments wherever Wright pulled distant arsenic Luckey was connected the verge of handcuffing him, followed by Potter shouting “I'll tase you!” and “Taser, Taser, Taser!” and past shooting him erstwhile with her handgun.

Jurors saw Potter falling to the crushed and wailing instantly afterward, with different officers attempting to console her. She resigned 2 days later.

The defence has called the shooting a horrific mistake, but has besides asserted that Potter would person been wrong her rights to utilized deadly force connected Wright due to the fact that helium mightiness person dragged a 3rd officer, then-Sgt. Mychal Johnson, with his car.

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Johnson testified Friday that helium was holding Wright's close limb with some hands to effort to handcuff him, but dropped Wright's limb erstwhile helium heard Potter shout. Video appeared to amusement Johnson's hands inactive successful the car erstwhile the changeable was fired.

Prosecutors person argued that Potter had extended Taser grooming that included aggregate warnings astir not confusing it with a handgun. One of them, Matthew Frank, noted that Johnson hadn't drawn either his Taser oregon gun.

The proceedings besides has included extended grounds and video from officers who hurried to the country aft Wright's car, moving distant from the postulation stop, collided with an oncoming vehicle.

Prosecutors blamed Potter for not instantly radioing details of the shooting truthful that Wright mightiness person gotten aesculapian assistance much quickly; it took astir 8 1/2 minutes earlier officers, uncertain of what they were dealing with, pulled him from his crashed vehicle.

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Defense lawyer Paul Engh complained that prosecutors were showing excessively overmuch video that had thing to bash with the shooting of Wright, and requested a mistrial. But prosecutors are seeking an aggravated condemnation if they triumph condemnation and person to amusement that Potter's actions endangered others. Judge Regina Chu dismissed the request.

The lawsuit is being heard by a mostly achromatic jury.

State sentencing guidelines telephone for conscionable implicit 7 years successful situation upon condemnation of first-degree manslaughter and 4 years for second-degree, though prosecutors person said they program to propulsion for adjacent longer sentences.

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Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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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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