Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair for Killing Daunte Wright? Reaction

You probably heard the news now. First of all let’s see what happened inside the court and finally, the answer to the actual question ‘Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair?’

A court sentenced Kim Potter, the former police officer convicted of manslaughter in the killing of Daunte Wright, to two years in state jail on Friday. Potter will serve 16 months in jail and the rest of his sentence will be supervised.

Judge Regina Chu recognized mitigating elements in the case, which resulted in a sentence that was less than Minnesota’s suggested sentencing guidelines — nearly seven years for first-degree manslaughter. Potter has already served 58 days in prison, leaving him with around 14 months to spend.

Potter was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter in a December trial after mistaking her pistol for her Taser when she fatally shot the 20-year-old Black man during a traffic stop last year.

Potter’s defense lawyers had encouraged the court to consider probation rather than jail time or a sentence that was less than the approved standards — which is ultimately what the Chu decided.

Potter wanted to use her Taser instead of her gun, according to the Chu; the “situation was chaotic, stressful, and fast shifting,” necessitating swift decision-making by Potter; and Potter’s choices were not motivated by personal enmity toward Wright, according to the Chu.

“Officer Potter made a blunder that resulted in tragedy,” Chu explained. “She had no intention of harming anyone. Her actions beg for a punishment that falls well short of the criteria.”

The sentencing saddened and enraged Wright’s parents.

Katie Wright told news sources such as Minnesota Public Radio, “Kim Potter murdered my son, and now the legal system murdered him all over again.” “We’re extremely dissatisfied with the outcome. Yes, we were found guilty, and we appreciate everyone’s help. This, however, is not acceptable. Justice is overshadowed by the weeping of a white woman.”

Daunte’s father, Arbuey Wright, claimed that he had been cheated.

According to MPR, he said, “They were so wrapped up in her sentiments that they forgot about my kid being killed.” “We sit around every night sobbing, waiting for our kid to come home, and this mother received a slap on the wrist.”

The Wright family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said in a statement that the judge’s remarks before sentence “showed a distinct lack of sympathy for the victim in this tragedy and were terrible to the family.”

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Wright’s family expressed their pain and demanded the maximum sentence

Prosecutor Matthew Frank pressed the judge in Minneapolis on Friday morning to stay with the presumptive sentence rather than a lesser one.

“The defendant was found guilty of this offense by the jury,” Frank said. “It wasn’t with the intention of killing Mr. Wright. It was, nonetheless, culpably negligent. It denotes a higher level of responsibility.”

He believes that deviating from the state’s sentencing standards should only be done in exceptional and persuasive situations.

“We have no doubt that Potter is remorseful. But… this is a courtroom filled with pain and grief. What can we do about it? What options do we have? Frank replied, his voice trembling with emotion, “This is a divided community.” “What can be done to assist restore some of the community’s faith and trust in police enforcement?” What can be done, specifically in this circumstance, to assist the Wright family in coping with their grief and loss?”

He maintained that while offenders should be expected to exhibit sorrow, remorse alone is insufficient: “Defendants should be remorseful for more than what has occurred to them.” We should expect defendants to feel guilt in the sense that they have done something harmful to others.

We’ve seen some proof of it, but not nearly enough, in my opinion.”

Wright’s family members testified in court about their heartbreaking loss.

Katie Wright, his mother, expressed her pain and fury in her words. She wiped away tears as she added, “You took his future, what he might have been, and it was so many things.”

After Potter frequently referred to her son as “the driver” rather than his name during the trial, she stated that she would only refer to him as “the defendant.”

Katie Wright described April 11 as “the worst day of my life.” “A police officer who was meant to protect and serve us stole so much from us. She crushed our baby boy’s heart with a single gunshot, and she shattered me.

My life and the world around me will never be the same again.”

Since Daunte’s death, Arbuey Wright’s family has been torn apart by grief, according to Arbuey Wright. “Everything we do as a family ends in tears,” he explained, “since all we have left are memories of our kid.”

“Kim Potter was taught to keep things like this from happening in the first place. “She had been a cop for longer than my son had been alive,” he claimed. “I demand that Kim Potter be held accountable and that the maximum punishment be imposed, which is incomparable to the life sentence we’ve received as a result of her negligence.” My son Daunte’s life was cut short far too soon, and he will never return.”

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Kim Potter expressed her regret to Wright’s family and the community

Potter took the stand to profess regret after her defense counsel read letters in favor of her. She spoke through tears as she turned to face the Wright family.

“I’m extremely sorry for bringing your son, father, brother, uncle, grandchild, nephew, and the rest of your family to their graves,” she stated. “Katie, I understand the love of a mother, and I apologize for breaking your heart. My heart breaks for each and every one of you. I don’t feel I had the right to gaze at you during the trial, as you said before. I have no right to even be in the same room as you.”

“I am so sorry for causing you such pain. My heart is torn, and I’m saddened for you all. I pray for Daunte and all of you on a daily basis. He’s only a thought away from my heart, and I have no right to his being there. Only because hate is so detrimental to all of us, I hope you can find forgiveness one day. “And I hope that peace is with all of you and your families always,” Potter concluded.

“And to the people of Brooklyn Center, I do owe you an apology, too,” she said to the larger community. I had a great time working for you.

I’m sorry for what has transpired in our community following Daunte’s death. And the individuals that work for you are still excellent, respectable people who will put in long hours for you.”

‘Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair?’ Down here

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Factors in Potter’s sentencing

Potter, who worked 26 years as a police officer and had no prior criminal record, is unlikely to be a repeat offender, according to prosecutors. Her conviction already prevents her from working as a cop or carrying a weapon.

As a result, prosecutors recommended that the Chu consider sending Potter to prison for one year “to reflect the tragedy of Daunte Wright’s killing,” as well as ten years of probation during which she lectures to law enforcement organizations about the dangers of weapons confusion.

Potter’s lawyers argued in court last month that she should be granted leniency because of her “age, exceptional work, and crime-free existence.”

Potter faces no recidivism risk, according to her attorneys, who said that she “expressed regret and apologized to Mr. Wright’s family from the stand, and would do so again at the sentence.” They said that Potter would be a “walking target” in prison. They also indicated that a jail term for her would compound the Minneapolis Police Department’s staff shortages by deterring potential candidates.

Potter’s counsel alleged that Wright’s actions had virtually spurred Potter into committing manslaughter in order to get a less sentence.

Wright had a warrant out for his arrest on a gun-related felony at the time of the traffic stop, and he was attempting to flee when Potter shot him.

“Nothing would have occurred if Mr. Wright had not fought back violently and aggressively. All Mr. Wright had to do was come to a halt and respect the law, and he’d be Alright “Her attorneys wrote a letter to her.

Potter’s attorneys highlighted a number of examples in which judges came to similar findings and handed down lower penalties, including the case of Rodney King, a Black man who was beaten by Los Angeles cops in 1991.

In that instance, two cops who had earlier been convicted of state charges were subsequently found guilty in a federal civil rights trial by a separate jury.

The court emphasized King’s alcohol intake and “combative” behavior, as well as the officers’ professions and personal life, during the sentencing hearing. The cops were ultimately sentenced to 30 months in jail, significantly less than the prosecutors had requested. The contentious punishment was eventually affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The allusion to the King beating was deemed “bad taste and judgment” by Potter’s prosecutors, who also questioned that Wright had acted combatively or violently. They added, “He simply tried to jump in the driver’s seat and drove away.”

‘Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair?’ Down here

The deadly traffic stop and conviction for manslaughter

On the afternoon of April 11, 2021, Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Minneapolis police department in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, was teaching a rookie officer. After noting expired tabs on his license plate and an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror, the two pulled over Wright together.

The cops uncovered a warrant for Wright’s arrest after a courteous introductory talk. The warrant stemmed from a firearms charge. They made the decision to detain him.

Wright was initially helpful, according to video footage from body cameras and the squad vehicle dashcam, but as he was being arrested, he pushed away and ducked back into his car.

In the ensuing chaos, Potter pulled her gun and said, “I’ll tase you!” and “Taser! Taser!” before discharging a single round into Wright’s chest and killing him. She looked horrified and stated she had “grabbed the wrong f***ing gun” shortly afterward.

During the trial in December, both parties agreed that she had planned to use her Taser rather than her firearm.

Prosecutors, on the other hand, persuaded the jury that her mistake was so rash that it was illegal. The jury unanimously convicted her on both of the two manslaughter counts she faced after many days of deliberation.

Now let’s see the answer to the actual question ‘Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair?’ Also, what the public says on this judgment.

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Is Kim Potter’s prison sentence of 2 years fair?

More or less, that appears to be ok. 

There’s no proof that the shooting was anything other than a regrettable accident, but it was a tragic mistake caused by serious negligence.

If you work in a restaurant and a customer orders diet soda and you unintentionally give them sugary soda by mistake, and they become diabetic, you should probably lose your job, but a prison sentence would be excessive. However, if you are a police officer and unintentionally shoot someone dead while attempting to tase them, you should be held to a higher level of accountability.

When you are given a gun to use as part of your work, a weapon whose sole purpose is to kill, you must be absolutely certain that you are justified in using it each and every time. If you push the accelerator instead of the brake and murder a pedestrian at a crosswalk as a motorist, or if you shoot someone dead instead of tasing them as a police officer, you have committed a degree of carelessness that warrants a jail term.

I listen to the judge and see the trial and sentencing. It was a tragic accident, but it also raised questions about the rule of law. And the reduction in sentence from seven years, as requested by the state, to probation, as requested by the defense. The judge agreed to a two-year sentence. 16 months in jail, followed by four years of probation. Was it a mistake? Was it on purpose? In any case, the judge saw her actions as apprehending a criminal with a warrant and preventing another officer from being dragged under a car. So she was doing her job in that circumstance. The jury, however, found her guilty. It’s a hard case to say the correct sentence. She was not charged with murder, and even though she fired a shot in the car, she only injured the suspect, not the passenger or the other cop, thus it was not an assault. However, one individual died. I’m not sure what the right answer would be. However, the judge explained how she arrived at the punishment in a clear and concise manner. It is not going to delight the Potter family, nor will it please the Potter family. In any case, justice was served.

People’s reactions to the news that “Former Minnesota cop Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in jail for the murder of Daunte Wright”

1) Lesliya said,

• According to Minnesota law, she will be freed after 16 months (assuming good behavior) and will be given credit for the 58 days she has already spent in prison. As a result, she will serve one year and two months in prison.

2) Pete hanks said,

• What a pathetic sentence! She will be a convicted FELON at this point. That stain is impossible to remove.

3) Too Hood said,

• I honestly believed Potter would walk out of the courtroom today free after hearing Judge Chu speak before her sentence. Chu did a better job defending her than the real defense lawyer. What a load of nonsense.

4) Sesusu said,

• Never underestimate the power of a white woman’s tears.