Twitter erupts after Daunte Wright’s killer receives paltry sentence
Late Friday morning, former Minneapolis Police Officer Kim Potter was sentenced to 16 months in prison, eight months of supervised release, and slapped with a $1,000 fine in the fatal April 2021 shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright.
Potter was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in December for taking Wright's life when she allegedly mistook her gun for her Taser during a traffic stop.
After listening to Wright’s family deliver haunting impact statements on the pain that Wright’s death has caused them, Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu asked the public to “empathize” with Potter, whose “conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines” of six to eight-and-half-years.
Wright’s family was devastated by Chu’s decision.
“We’re very disappointed in the outcome... Kim Potter murdered my son. Today, the justice system murdered him all over again," Wright’s mother Katie told reporters outside of the courthouse following Chu’s ruling.
“Nobody cared enough - they were so tied up into her feelings – they forgot my son was killed,” Aubrey Wright, the victim’s father, added. “I feel like we were tricked… we actually thought we would get a little justice… but now, I walk out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this lady got a slap on the wrist and we sit around every night waiting for our son to come home.”
Toshira Garraway, an activist and founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, blasted Chu's ruling.
“This is multiple steps backward. This is hurtful and disrespectful for our community and the legal system in general,” she remarked to The Daily Beast. "This sentence is disrespectful to Daunte Wright’s family and just a reminder that some people just don’t care about us."
Attorneys for the Wrights – a team that includes civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump – were “completely stunned...[and] also deeply disappointed there was not a greater level of accountability," they said to the Beast. "The judge’s comments at sentencing showed a clear absence of compassion for the victim in this tragedy and were devastating to the family. Judge Chu’s comments about Potter resembled those of a job recommendation and not that of a senseless and preventable death of a promising life."
The high-profile nature of the case coupled with the national anger over cops using unjustified deadly force against Black people triggered an explosion of emotional reactions on social media.
“Kim Potter sentenced to 2 years for killing Daunte Wright. And the judge is giving her all the sympathy in the world. It really sounded like she was about to give her probation. But this is barely more than that. And not even two full years. 16 months plus credit for time served, and a paltry $1,000 fine. The judge sounds like she is about to cry, not for Daunte Wright and his family, but for Kim Potter. Wow,” MSNBC’s Joy Reid wrote.
And not even two full years. 16 months plus credit for time served, and a paltry $1,000 fine. The judge sounds like she is about to cry, not for Daunte Wright and his family, but for Kim Potter. Wow.— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37 (@Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37) 1645203741
“And rather than go the obvious route and quote that one MLK line, the judge went with an Obama quote. Ok I’m done. Time for a mental health break!” Reid continued. “Be safe out there and mind your air fresheners if you’re Black and driving.”
Be safe out there and mind your air fresheners if you\u2019re Black and driving— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37 (@Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37) 1645204666
Reid was far from alone in expressing outrage over Potter’s lenient punishment. Scores of observers said that the American criminal justice system is hopelessly broken.
I don\u2019t understand how a judge can be sympathetic towards a police officer who is training recruits on weapons that didn\u2019t understand the difference between a gun and a taser. Where is the sympathy for Daunte Wright and his family?— David Weissman (@David Weissman) 1645203833
This is why we don\u2019t put our trust and faith in the same system that\u2019s killing us. #DaunteWright— Documenting MN (@Documenting MN) 1645204352
The judge at Kim Porter\u2019s sentencing called her honorable, said she \u201clegitimately drew her taser,\u201d and gave her 16 months and probation. This woman drew her gun, shot, and killed Daunte Wright. This system will always protect and legitimize its own violence at our expense— Olayemi Olurin (@Olayemi Olurin) 1645203655
Kim Potter got just two years in prison for murdering Daunte Wright??? Two years away while he\u2019s dead? I\u2019m re-traumatized.— Tour\u00e9 (@Tour\u00e9) 1645205670
"The fact that I issued a downward departure does not in any way diminish Daunte Wright's life. His life mattered." -- Judge Regina Chu, who then goes on to issue a Barack Obama quote. \n\nDID Daunte's life matter, Judge Chu? Because your sentence says otherwise.— theGrio.com (@theGrio.com) 1645203676
This folks is a lesson in judicial discretion. This judge is literally saying this ain't #GeorgeFloyd meanwhile in whisper breaths and sing song tone doing everything she can to justify Kim Potter murdering Daunte Wright. This is disgusting #JusticeforDaunte won't be served— Ameshia Cross (@Ameshia Cross) 1645203477
Potter served longer on the police force than Daunte Wright lived on earth. She also was a multi year trainer for other officers in police brutality cases. She knows what to say, she knows how to act. She basically wrote the book on it.https://twitter.com/ReidarSundy/status/1494715865912299522\u00a0\u2026— Ameshia Cross (@Ameshia Cross) 1645203093
The family statements at Kim Potter's sentencing have been heartbreaking. \n\nShe was a cop longer than Daunte Wright lived, yet she couldn't tell she was holding a gun, not a tazer?\n\nBullshit.\n\nShe smiled in her mug shot. No remorse.\n\nShe deserves the maximum sentence. %.pic.twitter.com/CXbPNCThrh— Michael Alan Westen \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a (@Michael Alan Westen \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a) 1645200743
Kim Potter received 16 months and a $1,000 fine for the murder of Daunte Wright. Don't tell me about the State. Don't tell me about the mistake she made. Black America is under siege and until we reform the Police and destroy racism, none of your bullshit logic makes this fair— jonathan slater (@jonathan slater) 1645204715
Kim Potter, the officer who murdered Daunte Wright was sentenced to 16 months and 8 months supervised. America\u2019s justice system is trash.— Kevin \u2615\ufe0f\ud83c\udfb6 (@Kevin \u2615\ufe0f\ud83c\udfb6) 1645205578
Police officer Kim Potter just received 16 months and a $1,000 fine for the murder of Daunte Wright. In case anyone has forgotten, this is why Colin Kaepernick took a knee.— Andrea Junker (@Andrea Junker) 1645205895
Kim Potter just received 16 months and a $1,000 fine for the murder of Daunte Wright.\n\nThis is a fucking disgrace.— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@BrooklynDad_Defiant!) 1645203671
Correction: one of those Black women got three times the length of Kim Potter's sentence.https://twitter.com/pchenderson_LV/status/1494722252880891905?s=20&t=7jiNvfnnSNDUC5OOa0xKuA\u00a0\u2026— Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1645204588
Killer cop Kim Potter was sentenced to 16 months in prison, 8 months of supervised release and was fined $1K for her murder of Daunte Wright and the judge was more sympathetic to her than the actual victim.\n\nThis isn\u2019t justice in any way. It\u2019s a travesty and a disgrace.— Ricky Davila (@Ricky Davila) 1645204048
Officer Potter got a lesser sentence for her role in the death of Daunte Wright, than many receive for minor drug possession. \n\nThe justice system is fucked up.— John Collins (@John Collins) 1645204274
16 months for an extrajudicial execution is a joke. Daunte Wright posed no threat to Kim Potter's life. This was a damn lynching.\n\nRIP Daunte Wright. You deserve justice.pic.twitter.com/lZTiXikjNZ— Fifty Shades of Whey (@Fifty Shades of Whey) 1645205881
Kalief Browder was jailed for 3 years in solitary confinement for allegedly stealing a backpack\u2014without a trial or conviction. \n\nKim Potter killed Daunte Wright and was sentenced to 2 years. \n\nTell me how the system isn\u2019t broken. \nRest in power Kalief and Daunte pic.twitter.com/aG49NQoDmY— Olivia Julianna \uea00 (@Olivia Julianna \uea00) 1645205529
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