Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter was sentenced Friday to 24 months in prison and a $1,000 fine after pleading guilty to the death of Don't Right, a 20-year-old black man who was found fatal during a traffic stop. was fatally shot.
Potter will serve 16 months in prison and the remaining eight months on supervised release, much less than prosecutors demand. Judge Regina Chu acknowledged that there was a "significant fall" from the sentencing guidelines.
"I agree that there will be people who disagree with the sentence. That I gave a significant downside does not in any way diminish Dante Wright's life. His life matters. And those who disagree and feel Let's say that the long prison sentence is justified, as difficult as it is, please try to sympathize with Ms. Potter's situation," Chu said.
Chu said he received "hundreds" of letters in support of Potter, which he said he had read.
Sentencing the sentence, Chu said, "This is one of the saddest cases on the bench in my 20 years." "Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically, but he never intended to hurt anyone."
A surcharge of $78 will also be taken from Potter's prison pay. He has already served 58 days in prison to his credit while awaiting sentencing.
The maximum sentence for first-degree murder is 15 years and a fine of $30,000, and for second-degree murder - 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Dante Wright's father, Arbue Wright, explained how upset he was with the sentence given to Potter.
He said, "I walk out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this woman has got a slap on the wrist and every night we still wait crying, at my son's house." Waiting to come," he said.
Ben Crump, attorney for the Wright family, said the judge's remarks on the sentencing "show a clear absence of compassion for the victim in this tragedy and were devastating to the family."
"Today's sentencing of Kim Potter completely stunned the family of Don't Wright. While there is a slight sense of justice as she will serve nominal time, the family is also deeply disappointed that there was not a great level of accountability, ' Crump said in a statement.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement that he accepted the judge's decision and urged everyone to "accept his decision."
"I don't ask you to agree with her decision, which doesn't take anything away from the truth of the jury's decision. I know it's damaging to Dante Wright's loved ones. I ask that we don't know the beauty of Daunt Wright. Remember to perpetuate his memory in our hearts, and to know that so many years in prison can never capture the wonder of this young man's life," Ellison wrote.
"There's no reason to celebrate: no one has won. We've all lost, none other than Dante Wright and the people who love him. None of us ever wanted Kim Potter to draw the wrong weapon and Don't kill Right," he said.
Before sentencing, Dante Wright's mother, Katie Ann Wright, made an emotional and tearful-impact statement Friday, asking the judge to give Potter the maximum sentence.
Addressing Potter during her statement, she said, "I will never be able to forgive you for what you stole from us." "You took his future."
"My life and my world will never be the same," she said.
In her statement, Katie Ann Wright said she would not be able to sympathize with Potter.
"How do you show remorse when you smile at your mug shot after being convicted of murder, after taking my son's life?" He asked.
Katie Ann Wright told the judge that Potter left her family's world "so dark and heartbroken."
She said that Potter never said her son's name, only referring to him as "the driver," which she saw as dehumanizing her son, she said.
"I'll keep saying your name until driving, while Black is no longer a death sentence," she said.
Later, Potter apologized to the Wright family in tears and replied to them "never see them."
"I didn't think I had a right to see any of you," said Potter. "I'm so sorry I hurt you so badly."
A Minnesota jury convicted 49-year-old Potter of first-degree and second-degree murder in an April 11, 2021 incident. He had pleaded not guilty to both the charges.
Arbue Wright told the court that her son's murder was caused by Potter's negligence.
"She was a police office for a long time compared to my son," Arbue Wright said during his impact statement.
He added, "He also hurt my entire family. Nothing will be the same. Everything we do as a family ends in tears as we have the memories of our son left."
Dante Wright's sister Diamond Wright also addressed the court, saying how difficult the loss of her brother had been.
Diamond Wright said, "I never thought my brother would be killed by the same people we're supposed to feel safe with." "I feel like I'm living in a complete nightmare."
He also demanded maximum punishment from the judge.
"You can't tell me it was an accident, it's in clear sight," she said. "How do I see my brother in a metal container just to talk to?"
In a court filing Tuesday, Ellison's office announced that they have sought 86 months, or seven years plus two months, of prison time for Potter. Sentences in the state are served concurrently, so Potter would have only served a higher sentence.
Prosecutors also asked that in the event the court sentences Potter to probation, that she serve at least one year in prison "for showing the seriousness of Deontay Wright's death", and that she serve at least one year in prison, and that she serve at least one year in prison. According to the documents probation lasts for at least 10 years. ,
Potter had fatally shot Wright after initially pulling him over for an expired registration tag on his car. According to former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned after the incident, after he determined he had an excellent warrant for a felony weapons charge, tried to take him into custody.
As officers tried to arrest him, Wright freed himself and tried to get back in his vehicle. Then, according to Potter's lawyers, he accidentally grabbed his shotgun instead of his stun gun and shot it.
Wright's death sparked protests against racism and police brutality across the US, as the killing took place outside Minneapolis, where the trial of former officer convicted of killing George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, is currently underway.
Potter took the stand on the final day of his trial, shedding tears and apologizing. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I didn't want to hurt anyone."
The jury deliberated for nearly four days before delivering its verdict on 23 December.