Kim Potter Guilty
 

I could not have voted to convict. She was doing her job, and made a mistake. Surgeons make mistakes that result in death, but they never go to jail.

Before one comments on the jury verdict here, one should fully apprize oneself as to the elements of the charge against this officer.

The elements of the charge were enacted by the legislature of the state of Minnesota long before this incident occurred.

Be swayed not by your feelings, but be swayed by what the jury was forced to consider in light of the duly enacted law. They wrestled with this for 72 hours. How many seconds are you wrestling with this before you type in your opinions here?

Her convictions are totally unwarranted. I wonder how many jurors felt fearful of riots and/or were contacted by criminals who threatened them, their families and/or their property.

This should get corrected on appeal.

Wrong Charges Filed Against Kimberly Potter for Duante Wright Death

Anybody get a good look at the horrific criminal record of the vicious felon she mistakenly shot with her gun instead of her taser in the heat of the moment?

"The previously undisclosed 2017 felony petition, obtained by Fox News Digital, alleges that Wright broke into a home before the homeowner, who was in the basement, emerged upstairs and chased him out.

A 38-year-old man identified only as J.M. told police he recognized Wright as a "former acquaintance of his son" when the doorbell rang on Jan. 30, 2017.

"J.M. stated that he did not want to respond to the doorbell and ignored [Wright]," the petition states.

Then Wright walked behind the house and knocked at the back door, according to the court document. When no one answered, he allegedly took down the screen on the bathroom window and crawled inside. At that point, J.M. chased him out.

It’s unclear how the juvenile case was resolved. A spokeswoman for Ben Crump, the attorney representing Wright’s family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment."

"Wright also had armed robbery charges pending at the time of his death. And a pair of lawsuits filed after his death accuse him of shooting a teen in the head and taking part in a carjacking in which an accomplice allegedly shot a young man through the leg.

In the robbery case, Wright allegedly closed one hand around a 20-year-old woman’s throat, choking her, while shoving a gun barrel in her face and demanding cash she had hidden in her bra."

From: Kim Potter trial: Daunte Wright, repeat offender killed by ex-cop, appears in yet another felony complaint | Fox News


It will become increasingly difficult to find good folks agreeable to take on careers in law enforcement if such travesties continue.

AGREE. The way underpaid Law Enforcement Officers that have to make life or death decisions in a matter of one second need considerably more pay and benefits to compensate for the potential ramifications of the job. After the legitimate stop the officers were informed that this, now known criminal, was wanted on a WEAPONS charge. After confronting him with this, a struggle ensued, and he the wanted CRIMINAL attempted to re-enter his vehicle, which considering the “weapons warrant” would make any law enforcement officer concerned. With that said she made a tragic error, but in”my” opinion the charges against her were not warranted.

You sound like a cross eyed lawyer!

How many fractions of a second did she have to decide her actions and act?

It is sad this happened but amazing that somehow we should feel sorry for the no good hoodlum who was up to no good in his life and was shot.

Not as if the officer has plenty of time to make a decision with their life in serious jeopardy.

With the just verdicts in the George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Daunte Wright trials and the indictment of the white female prosecutor in the Arbery case for not doing her job, it's been a bad year for racists and those who think law enforcement should be above the law. May the trend continue.

LOL, no one is going to miss Daunte Wright. Most likely Potter has saved a few lives with her mistake.

There are a lot of cops who do things to create circumstances to shoot people for sure. But this was a mistake under pressure.

Some people improve the World be being in it, others by leaving it. Tata Daunte !!!

She's guilty of involuntary manslaughter, no idea what the laws are in that location.

He's guilty of stupidity and paid the price for it.

Keyboard comments are interesting. If you feel the conviction is warranted walk in an officers shoes. Then rethink your conviction. Terrible, tragic mistake but that is what it was a mistake

I would have reached for my gun and not the taser knowingly. No way I could be a cop and put up with what have to deal with

Good points

If Wright hadn’t try to flee , none of this would have happened.

Well said!

In the vast majority of the world (and throughout most of human history) the main motivation to go into law enforcement is/was to collect bribes. Most citizens of this country have no clue how lucky we are to have honest police. Its so sad we are throwing that all away just so members of one political party can gain power through scorched earth policy, and their lapdog media can gain ratings.


What honest man or woman in their right mind would take up a career in law enforcement in today's political climate?


So sad. Very very sad.

In regards to the original post, while surgeons are not held criminally liable for a mistake, they are held monetarily liable by civil law.

Law enforcement personnel have financial immunity if they make a mistake in most cases so they can only be held liable criminally.

Hmmm, so perhaps a good discussion would be should law enforcement personnel be treated like surgeons.

Should police officers lose qualified immunity in exchange for criminal immunity?

Did it say how many times she fired? As CPL holder in Texas and Michigan and retired military, I say if it's one shot, mistake is understood, if more than one that's a tough sell.

Agree 100%!!!!! Verdict outrageous. The guy was resisting arrest. His behavior caused the police to use lethal force! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal!

One shot

I sincerely hope she does not get more time than a person that is habitually DUI that strikes and kills a pedestrian, gets. I remember visiting a jail where there were two convicts working in the kitchen. One had received a sentence of one year for his third DUI offense, where he had struck an unoccupied parked car and the other received ten months for manslaughter because he was in a biker gang fight in a restaurant parking lot and shot an employee by mistake. He had been trying to shoot another biker and the employee had just exited the restaurant at the time.
The problem is NOT always the law enforcement officer, but actually the judges and the states attorney and the unbalanced judicial system.

If these thug criminals would stop resisting arrest and behave with respect, none of this would have happened. Right or wrong in regards to this case or George Floyd, the police are dealing with despicable criminals that resist arrest, have zero regard for human life let alone the police. I could not imagine being a police person today and have utmost respect for them. This Female officer with a great record now has her life ruined over a scum bag. The criminals have made this a war. It sickens me Floyd is considered a hero. I do not believe in racist behavior, but Floyd was a bad disgusting human. The good police out there should be the hero’s.

All because of being pulled over for an air freshener?
 

Was this story all about him being pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his mirror? Something doesn't seem right here!!

I do feel sorry for the police officer, but I also believe that law enforcement does need to be held to a higher standard. Else “accidents” like this will become the norm.

I do hope that the sentence is light though because I do believe it was an accident. She’s also been through hell already I’m sure (who likes dealing with lawyers and the legal system)

Tasers
 

Pistol grip tasers should not be issued to officers. There are many other shaped options. Her department let her and the public down by approving the model taser she had.

PO Potter is also a victim, not a criminal.

Wow quite a mistake killed someone. What would you think if it was the other way around and it was the cop who was mistakenly killed.

There is more to the story but that is why he was pulled over.

Its all the WOKE mentality.
 

But look, he got stopped because of a vehicle issue, then didn't have the right documentation, then found out he had an outstanding warrant, then started to resist. So it wasn't like he was targeted and pulled over on a Suday drive to grandma's. I have a brother who is retired law enforcement, and he told me that its something like 50% of minorities who have motor vehicle compliance issues, then no insurance or expired registration, or outstanding bench warrants for child support, missed court dates etc. Then they get belligerant when you question them.

Great point
My heart is heavy for her

Kim Potter
 

Kim potter killed an unarmed young man. I feel for her because it was not an intentional act - but an accident. That being said - you can’t kill someone - accidental or not- and not be held responsible in someway. I agree with the jury - they definitely got it right.

One shot while yelling taser taser taser

You forgot to include the Rittenhouse verdict....

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The FACTS show that he was pulled over because of an existing aggravated robbery warrant. His FATHER stated it was because of the air freshener, which is reported as untrue. He had multiple criminal charges on his record. Simple to see that he was NOT an upstanding citizen. His Facebook showed him flashing gang symbols and fanning out $$$ hundreds in his hands.

The police cams showed him being cuffed outside his car, he resisted then pushed the other cop, jumped in his car and ready to speed away with the other cop hanging on. That's when Office Potter was ready to tase, but we all know the rest.

So as is the case in almost all of these 'police killings' - the cause was - a criminal - resisting arrest or fleeing - then the action of the police.

We always seem to hear the relatives say "He was such a good boy".... well.... eyes of beholder.

Personally I am ambivalent re this. Glad that I wasn't on the jury. Of course Potter shot and killed him. She was extremely repentant during the trial and her testimony. Should she have received some 'time'? Probably, but if it's the max 30 years - yikes.
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No his tags were expired. He told his mom he was being pull over for the air freshener……

No he was pulled over because of his expired tags

Taser
 

She was on the police force for 26 years and was an instructor on use of tasers. Her actions were negligent and shouldn’t be on the force. Manslaughter is appropriate. It’s HER ACTIONS that were on trial, and not the victim’s character.

A street cop works in a war zone, some areas much much more than others, the weapons officers carry is there for the defense of their life or others, how many of the jurors have ever been presented with a possible kill or be killed situation, the sort of situation the police face every time they get involved in a routine street stop, how often have the jurors been involved in mundane situations that suddenly explode in great violence?

Studies from Johns Hopkins and others estimate that 250,000 to 440,000 people are killed each year from medical mistakes. I would guess the number of people going to jail for those mistakes could be counted on one hand.

The way I understand things, the fact that she was yelling "Taser" over and over indicated that she had determined that lethal force was not warranted. Then she shot him with a gun by mistake. Pretty clearly a screw-up which caused the death of an innocent (until proven guilty of something) USA citizen (not that that should make a difference). In most states, doing something like that gets you jail time. I suspect that she will get less than half the time she could get, but it will be years,

This will set precedence that police will back off arrests in resisting criminals and many police will be quitting. It will
embolden criminals. Now, will self defense be in jeopardy for innocent victims?