2aguy
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- Jul 19, 2014
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Trial begins for ex-officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot Daunte Wright
Defense lawyers argued that Potter's use of a weapon was justified, even as they acknowledged she meant to draw her Taser, not her handgun. "She's a human being," said attorney Paul Engh.www.npr.org
begining statements.
Daunte Wright's mother, officer with Potter during traffic stop testify after opening statements conclude
Opening statements began Wednesday morning in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter, who is charged in the death of Daunte Wright.kstp.com
wrights mother crying on stand, wonder how this will come out?
From what we are learning in actual testimony, the shooting of Wright would have been legally justified...he was actively endangering the lives of two police officers as he tried to flee in his car....
This officer should be found not guilty and reinstated...
When Wright began violently fighting arrest and struggling to regain his position in the driver’s seat of the car, Johnson opened the passenger side door of the car and reached across passenger/girlfriend Albrecht-Payton to place his right hand on the gear shift to keep it in park and his left hand for the keys to prevent their operation. Johnson would later shift his left hand to Wright’s right arm, to try to compel compliance with arrest.
While Johnson had his right hand on the gear shift to lock in the parked position, Wright’s own hand fought to put the car into gear—this while both Johnson and Luckey had the upper half of their bodies inside the vehicle.
Frank asked Johnson whose hand was near Johnson’s on the shift lever, and Johnson answered that was Wright’s hand. He appears to have been trying to shift the knob, and you prevented him, asked Frank? Yes, replied Johnson.
Frank asked Johnson what he thought Wright was about to do in that moment, and Johnson answered “drive away”—obviously, any such action by Wright in the moment would have risked immediate death or serious bodily injury to both Johnson and Luckey, and perhaps also Potter.
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After the morning break, defense counsel Earl Gray stepped up to conduct cross-examination of Sergeant Johnson, a process which would consume only 20 minutes, and which would prove far more productive and efficient than had Frank’s direct of Johnson.
As Potter’s supervising officer for several years, didn’t you consistently grade her job performance as exceeding expectations? Johnson had. She went above and beyond normal activity for a patrol officer? Yes. She worked with victims of domestic victims, was a casket carrier for officers killed in the line of duty? She did and was. Any ever complaint of Potter using excessive force? No.
You knew Potter and Luckey were seeking to arrest Wright on an arrest warrant for a gun crime and also needed to confirm the identity of the female passenger to ensure it was not the woman who had taken out the restraining order against Wright? Yes. Knew also there was marijuana residue in the car? Yes.
What did the weapons violation tell you? That Wright had had a gun before, might have one again now. Illegally? Yes.
From the time you informed Wright he was under arrest to the time he started fighting that arrest was about 13 seconds? Yes. And it’s six seconds later that Potter first says she’ll Tase him. Yes. Seconds later, I’ll tase you, again. Yes. Three seconds later, she fires what she thinks is a Taser? Yes.
At any time did Wright simply comply with arrest and stop fighting? No.
You heard “Taser! Taser! Taser!” and backed out of the car. Yes. As soon as you got out of the car, the car took off like a jet, quite fast? Yes, it took off quick.
What’s an officer supposed to do when arresting a suspect on a weapons warrant and trying to find out about a protection order? We’re supposed to put the suspect under arrest. And if they try to get away, use force to effect the arrest? Yes.
If Wright had taken off with you in the car, the likely outcome? My serious injury or death. In that case, with an officer in your position, with Potter trying to stop Wright, would it be fair for Potter to use a firearm to stop Wright? By state statute, yes. By statute, one can use deadly force to avoid death or great bodily harm? Yes. You’re aware of that statute? Yes.
Daunte Wright Shooting Trial Day 3: Still No Apparent Evidence Of Manslaughter
Spends another day in plodding, pointless testimony. Prosecution seems to be stalling for time, but why?
legalinsurrection.com
