As previously reported by REVOLT, on April 11, 2021, a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a white police officer named Kimberly Potter. The incident happened in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota during a traffic stop. The officer claimed she delivered the fatal shot after accidentally using her gun instead of her taser.
Last night (June 21), attorneys for Wright’s family announced that the Minnesota city agreed to a $3.2 million settlement in connection to his death. Within the agreement are plans for traffic stop training to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Changes in police policies are expected as well.
Following the fatal traffic stop that originated from expired registration tags, Potter received first and second-degree manslaughter convictions and was sentenced to two years in prison. At the time of the verdict, Wright’s mother, Katie Bryant, said, “The moment that we heard ‘guilty‘ on manslaughter 1, emotions — every single emotion that you could imagine — just running through your body at that moment.” She added, “We want to thank community support, everybody who has been out there that has supported us in this long fight for accountability.”
Co-counsel Antonio M. Romanucci said Wright’s family hopes the settlement terms will “change to policing, policies and training” and “create important improvements to the community in Daunte’s name.” The attorney continued, “Nothing can bring him back, but the family hopes his legacy is a positive one and prevents any other family from enduring the type of grief they will live with for the rest of their lives.”
George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in the same state in 2020, just one year before Wright suffered the same fate. In 2021, the Minneapolis City Council approved a $27 million civil settlement for Floyd’s family.