The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot black man Duante Wright during a traffic stop on Sunday has been identified as a police veteran of 26 years.
The identity of officer Kimberly Potter, 48, was released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Monday.
Potter has been placed on standard administrative leave, city officials said at a press conference earlier in the day.
Potter acquired her police licence in 1995 at the age of 22 and has worked with the Brooklyn Center Police Department ever since, the Star Tribune reports.
The officer mistook her gun for a Taser when she shot 20-year-old Wright.
The fatal shooting happened as police were trying to arrest Wright on an outstanding warrant.
Police bodycam footage released on Monday showed other officers struggling to get Wright out of his car and handcuff him as Potter yelled “Taser! Taser!”
Wright steps out of his car, then breaks free from police and jumps back behind the wheel.
After firing a single shot from her gun, the car speeds away, and the officer is heard saying, “Holy s***! I shot him.”
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described it as “an accidental discharge.”
Gannon said his release of the video was for the sake of transparency and that the BCA doesn’t condone the release of video footage in ongoing investigations.
Shooting sparks protests
Demonstrators gathered Monday night to protest outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department for the second night in a row, shouting: “No justice, no peace.”
Police fired tear gas and stun guns to disperse the gathering that was defying a curfew while protesters launched “bottles, fireworks, bricks and other projectiles at public safety officials,” according to a tweet from Operation Safety Net (OSN), a joint effort of local entities to ensure the safety of the public during the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin is the police officer accused of causing the death of George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes.
Kimberly Potter is married to a former police officer and has two adult sons, according to The Star Tribune.
Brian Peters, the head of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said Potter was working on Sunday as a field training officer and was training a new recruit.
“She’s just a very dedicated, passionate, good person,” he said.
“It’s completely devastating. She is just a good person, always willing to help out.
‘Deeply tragic’
But Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott, who described the shooting as “deeply tragic,” has called for Potter to be fired.
“We cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people,” he said.
“We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole.”
– with CNN
