Daunte Wright’s sister was arrested at the Hennepin County Courthouse on Friday (Feb. 18) after the sentencing of ex-cop Kim Potter, who shot and killed Wright last year.
Video taken at the courthouse posted by WCCO reporter David Schuman showed confrontations between people supporting Wright and others defending Potter.
“Daunte Wright was a lovely young man and I can speak to that… so don’t say he’s a bad man,” one woman said to a man supporting Potter.
According to WCCO, police intervened in a situation involving Wright’s sister Diamond Wright and the mother of his young son, Chyna Whitaker.
On Twiter, Schuman said it was unclear whether Diamond was defending Whitaker from someone who tried to attack her, or if the situation was between the two women themselves.
A clip tweeted by the reporter showed police restraining Diamond on the ground and handcuffing her. Schuman said she was detained and taken away by police before noon local time.
According to WCCO, at least one other person was also arrested at the scene while others were detained.
As reported by REVOLT, Potter was sentenced to 16 months in prison with eight months of supervised release on Friday, significantly shorter than the seven-year sentence that prosecutors asked for.
“Of all the jobs in public service, police officers have the most difficult one. They must make snap decisions under tense evolving and ever-changing circumstances,” Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu said during the hearing. “They risk their lives every single day in public service. Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically.”
“She never intended to hurt anyone,” Chu added. “Her conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines.”
In a press conference after the hearing, Wright’s family expressed their disappointment in Potter’s sentence, saying it was like the “justice system murdered him all over again.” See Schuman’s tweets from the courthouse below.