Justice for Daunte Wright: What to Read and What You Can Do
On Sunday, April 11, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by police officer Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. According to news reports, Wright, a Black man, was pulled over by police due to expired registration tags. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon told reporters he believed Potter meant to reach for her Taser, but mistakenly drew her gun instead, killing Wright with a single bullet. [Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Potter was arrested and will be charged with second-degree manslaughter.] Thousands rallied nationwide this week, protesting Wright’s death. But in Minnesota, this event held especially painful associations—just 10 miles away from Brooklyn Center in Minneapolis, former police officer Derek Chauvin was on trial for killing an unarmed Black man named George Floyd in 2020, sparking protests and a wave of the Black Lives Matter movement across the country last summer. As the trial, protests, and details continue to unfold, here are the stories, videos, and tweets we’re hoping you don’t miss this Tuesday.
Before Daunte Wright’s Death, A Gun-Taser Mix-up Was Blamed for Another Police Killing: Oscar Grant at Fruitvale Station
Commonalities between the circumstances in which Black people are killed at the hands of police are a constant. But in this Washington Post article, reporter Teo Armus examines a specific and tragic phenomenon, (one that is being questioned by Wright’s parents): police officers mistakenly reaching for their guns instead of a Taser. Twelve years ago in California’s Bay Area, Oscar Grant was killed at a BART station for this very same reason.
Daunte Wright’s Parents Speak Out Following His Death
Katie and Aubrey Wright spoke candidly this morning about Brooklyn Center police officers’ explanation for Daunte’s death in an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
What to Know About the Police Shooting of Daunte Wright
Key details from the case, with live updates, from the New York Times.
In Minnesota, A Grieving Community Desperate for Change
NBC News reporter Deon J. Hampton details the nuances and connections between the two murders and how the Minneapolis area is reacting, from the ground.
