Kimberly Potter Trial

Jurors have been selected and the case is to start next week.

I am not sure how this one will shake out to be honest. There is clear body camera footage of the incident. Officer Potter has claimed that she intended to taser the suspect, Daunte Wright, instead of shoot him with a pistol.

I am not familiar with how a taser works compared to a pistol so I don’t know if there is a significant difference in terms of how they feel, etc. Obviously its another split decision that an officer has to make and this one turned out to be fatal.

Comment away, please keep it civil.

I have no doubt it was a mistake but one that will cost her dearly and us with more fuel to the civil unrest fire the media will stoke with this.

Hold on my popcorn isn’t ready…

How many times did she shoot. More then 1 time would be no accident. 1 shot, well could be a accident. If it were a accident then I hope she doesn’t do prison time. Another poor criminal lost his life. Dang.

Ding…Popcorn ready
Please continue.

I believe they holster tasers and pistols on opposite sides right? I would imagine they are also much different in the hand, but in a situation like this its a split second decision. I do recall she had some other issues in her past, but nothing as serious as this I dont think.
Thinking about it I dont know how effective tasering him in a running vehicle would be. That would seem to be a potential larger concern because dont people generally convulse and he could mash the gas pedal and crash into something/someone?

Ripjiggen wrote:

Ding…Popcorn ready
Please continue.

LOL

You an ACT 2 or Orville kinda popcorn guy?

If I accidently get shot, I’d hope it led to some serious repercussions.
Though, I don’t think I’ll ever find myself in a situation like that kid put himself in.

Didn’t know there was a choice. Orville all the way.

This trial’s outcome imo is going to set quite the precedent for officers. The chauvin situation was quite a bit different than this one. If she gets a serious sentence I foresee many more officers saying this job isn’t worth it. At that point I start becoming extremely concerned about our police system in Mpls with the already shortage of officers.

I used to live blocks away from where that happened, glad I got my family out when I did. Didn’t think BC would turn so quick before the market crash years ago now.

my money is on this thread getting smoked before the trial begins!!!!!!

Mookie Blaylock wrote:

If I accidently get shot, I’d hope it led to some serious repercussions.
Though, I don’t think I’ll ever find myself in a situation like that kid put himself in.

Thats the big difference. Don’t put a officer in a spot where they have to pull a tazer. Accidents do happen and in a situation like this it was a situation none of them had to be in

I believe it was an accident but she did kill someone. She should be disciplined some how.

When you live in a “Compliance or Death” world like we do. I don’t think I’d be calling the “Authoritarian’s” bluff.

This was probably going to end in gunshots sooner or later.

I too have seen the video footage of the incident. I think it was clearly an accident by the officer. However, that accident ended fatally. She’ll have to pay the price.

Even though the victim was no angel and put himself in the wrong situation, his death was not warranted.

Pretty much the definition of manslaughter.

This guy was a criminal. He put himself in a dumb spot…we all hear that and agree with it. That however has no legal bearing on the case whatsoever. There was negligence in a very tense situation that mistakes could be made. Regardless, negligence carries legal consequences. She is by law “guilty”, it’s just a matter of what she is guilty of – which is where the opinions and sentencing severity come in.

To be honest, I always assumed this would be plead out and never make it to trial with her clearly stating it was a mistake from the very beginning. I was guessing she would have plead guilty to some lesser degree of manslaughter while citing her clean record as a LEO to keep her pension/retirement. Instead this Band-Aid is going to get put back on and ripped off a few more times for the State of MN while the media feasts on it.

gimruis wrote:

I am not familiar with how a taser works compared to a pistol so I don’t know if there is a significant difference in terms of how they feel, etc.

Potter’s taser was neon yellow. That color was supposed to prevent the very situation that happened in this case–mistaking a black taser that feels like a gun for a black gun that feels like a gun.

IMO, regardless of the outcome of this case, something has to be done with the design of a taser so that its feel and use is so different from a gun that mistakes like this are far less likely. Having two things on your belt, both of which are in holsters like a gun, are drawn like a gun, aimed like guns, and fired like guns, can only lead to disasters.

buckybadger wrote:

To be honest, I always assumed this would be plead out and never make it to trial with her clearly stating it was a mistake from the very beginning. I was guessing she would have plead guilty to some lesser degree of manslaughter while citing her clean record as a LEO to keep her pension/retirement.

I’m with you, this is what I thought would happen as well. There is no outward signs of bias and Potter has no record that indicates any bias incidents or patterns of behavior.

But I suppose to some this would look like one hand of government washing the other and there would be all kinds of accusations of a coverup.

The family will want their pound of flesh, as well they should.

Potters career is over, she will suffer through a trial and maybe a conviction & sentence. While she isn’t dead she is suffering.

What need to be proven by the prosecution in the second degree manslaughter charge is culpable negligence. Did she consciously take an unnecessary risk that resulted in a death. The fact that she didn’t consciously fire her gun pretty much negates this charge.

For the first degree charge they need to prove she recklessly handles her firearm. A mistake doesn’t necessarily mean she handled it recklessly.

It’s honestly going to be difficult to prove any of this so we’ll see how it all plays out. A guilty verdict for either charge will have some significant implications.

AnotherFisherman wrote:

I too have seen the video footage of the incident. I think it was clearly an accident by the officer. However, that accident ended fatally. She’ll have to pay the price.

Even though the victim was no angel and put himself in the wrong situation, his death was not warranted.

That’s kinda how I feel too.

I have a small connection to this case, my brother-in-law (who is a police chief) worked/trained with the police officer Kim Potter had with her.

I asked him about his opinion of the events that took place that day.

He said it was a tragic accident that never should have happened in the first place (I couldn’t agree more).

He never should have been shot, but he also should never have put himself in that situation.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Question for the commercial trades guys, anyone know if someone makes a mistake at work, say electrical or mechanical or structural etc, and someone leaves an electrical circuit on, or doesn’t shut off a water line causing an explosion, idk some other 10000 other ways someone could cause serious bodily harm or death, has anyone heard of or seen a worker have criminal charges put against them?

At a certain point these cops are gonna make the rational decision that a single moment mistake that they chose not to put themselves in but someone else did isn’t worth it for a job. Yeah she chose to be a cop but if this ends badly for her I do not like where this would go.

I’m no expert in policing, but a guy who is said both officers made a mistake from the get go. You take the suspect to the back of his car, hands on the trunk, feet back and spread ’em. That keeps him from returning to the car. He should have never been allowed to return to the car to start with. He also should have learned the meaning of the word “STOP !” like many others that paid the same price. Mistakes were made by all involved and I feel sorry for all of them. Just glad I’m not a cop in these crazy times.
WKW

Deuces wrote:

Question for the commercial trades guys, anyone know if someone makes a mistake at work, say electrical or mechanical or structural etc, and someone leaves an electrical circuit on, or doesn’t shut off a water line causing an explosion, idk some other 10000 other ways someone could cause serious bodily harm or death, has anyone heard of or seen a worker have criminal charges put against them?

At a certain point these cops are gonna make the rational decision that a single moment mistake that they chose not to put themselves in but someone else did isn’t worth it for a job. Yeah she chose to be a cop but if this ends badly for her I do not like where this would go.

It comes down to whether or not there was gross negligence. Was some sort of inspection intentionally skipped or forged?

This is why people need licenses in order to do some of these thing. If you don’t follow codes and policies, you can lose your license to even do these jobs.

Deuces wrote:

Question for the commercial trades guys, anyone know if someone makes a mistake at work, say electrical or mechanical or structural etc, and someone leaves an electrical circuit on, or doesn’t shut off a water line causing an explosion, idk some other 10000 other ways someone could cause serious bodily harm or death, has anyone heard of or seen a worker have criminal charges put against them?

At a certain point these cops are gonna make the rational decision that a single moment mistake that they chose not to put themselves in but someone else did isn’t worth it for a job. Yeah she chose to be a cop but if this ends badly for her I do not like where this would go.

I agree. With the way things are going who would even want to go into law enforcement nowadays. Not to mention they don’t get paid near enough for the crap they gotta deal with.

B-man wrote:

He never should have been shot, but he also should never have put himself in that situation.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Breaking the law should be risky and dangerous. If not more would be doing it.

suzuki wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>B-man wrote:</div>
He never should have been shot, but he also should never have put himself in that situation.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Breaking the law should be risky and dangerous. If not more would be doing it.

I dunno seams pretty easy right now.

wkw wrote:

I’m no expert in policing, but a guy who is said both officers made a mistake from the get go. You take the suspect to the back of his car, hands on the trunk, feet back and spread ’em. That keeps him from returning to the car. He should have never been allowed to return to the car to start with. He also should have learned the meaning of the word “STOP !” like many others that paid the same price. Mistakes were made by all involved and I feel sorry for all of them. Just glad I’m not a cop in these crazy times.
WKW

That will come out in the trial. Wright was pulled over for a moving violation at first. No need to spread ’em against a car IMO. If I remember right it wasn’t until Potter ran a check on him did he panic and run for it.

biggill wrote:

comes down to whether or not there was gross negligence. Was some sort of inspection intentionally skipped or forged?

Throw out whatever hypotheticals you want man, has anyone ever heard of a worker anywhere else go to jail?