When did opening statements start for Kimberly Potter?
OPENING statements have begun in court for Kimberly Potter, the former Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright.
Potter was arrested on Wednesday, April 14, she was charged with first and second-degree murder.
When did opening statements start for Kimberly Potter following the shooting of Daunte Wright?
Opening statements started for Kimberly Potter and the death of Daunte Wright on December 8, 2021.
The trial was held in the same courtroom where another ex-cop was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd.
She faces first and second-degree manslaughter charges.
According to Defense attorney Paul Engh, Potter is expected to take the stand.
Her lawyers have suggested resulted from her mistaking her gun for a Taser in April.
On December 23, 2021, a jury read the verdict in Potter's case following a two-week trial.
On February 18, 2022, Kim Potter was sentenced to 16 years behind bars.
The former cop joined the police force in Minnesota in 1995, at the age of 22.
Where was Daunte Wright shot at?
Wright was shot just ten miles from where Floyd was killed last summer, leading to an outpouring of anger from the community.
Wright was pulled over for a traffic violation shortly before 2pm on April 11 by Brooklyn Center police officers.
Police said when they tried to arrest the driver, who they determined had an outstanding warrant, he got back in his vehicle.
Bodycam footage from the fatal shooting reveals the moment Potter accidentally shot Wright while trying to use a Taser.
"One officer discharged their firearm, striking the driver," police said. "The vehicle traveled several blocks before striking into another vehicle."
Cops said the officer who fired the fatal shot intended to use a Taser, not a handgun.
Police Chief Tim Gannon described the shooting as an "accidental discharge".
What did Wright's family say about his death?
Wright's parents have refused to accept that their son was killed by "mistake."
"I lost my son, he's never coming back," Wright's dad, Aubrey Wright, told ABC News.
"I can't accept that - a mistake, that doesn't even sound right.
"This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can't accept that."
An emotional press briefing with the families of Wright and Floyd and Attorneys Ben Crump and Jeff Storms took place in Minneapolis the afternoon of April 13.
Screams of "say his name Daunte Wright" could be heard and his weeping mom, Katie Wright, said: "I held him in my arms."
The crowd chanted "Daunte's life mattered" and "Black Lives Matter".
Wright's distraught mom described the day of her son's death "as the worst day of my life."
Addressing the crowd, Wright's aunt, Naisha, said: "They killed my nephew. Every pistol, even a Taser, has a safety on it. I watched that video like everybody else watched it - that woman held that gun in front of her so a long time.
"My nephew was 20-years-old - I don't care what nobody has to say about him.
"My nephew was a lovable young man... the most beautiful smile. My nephew's blood is on your hands."
Chyna Whitaker, the heartbroken mom of Wright's one-year-old son, Daunte Wright Jr, said: "My son, he don't have a dad.
"I feel like they stole my son's dad from him."
One of Wright's cousins grew tearful as he described how he won't be able to spend another holiday with him.
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"I won't be able to spend holidays with him anymore," he said, adding that the 4th of July was their favorite.
"We're not going to be able to do that no more," he said.
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