Cop Who Shot Daunte Wright Mistook Her Own Gun for Taser
The bodycam footage of a shooting incident in Minneapolis that ended the life of Daunte Wright showed that a cop mistook her gun for a taser, police said on Monday.
Based on the bodycam footage, an officer can be heard giving Wright a warning that she will tase him. The officer then yelled, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" as she drew her actual firearm and fired one shot before screaming, "Holy sh--! I shot him!"
The footage also caught Daunte Wright stepped out of his car, then leaped back behind the wheel and drove off. But the officer can be heard in the video saying that she just shot the 20-year-old Black man.
Daunte Wright was killed after a police officer fatally shot him at around 2 p.m. on Sunday in a police traffic stop at Brooklyn Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is just blocks away from George Floyd's site's death in police custody, Crimeonline reported.
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The Police Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Identified
According to Fox9 News, the police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright was identified as Kim Potter by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on Monday.
The BCA said that Potter, who has been with the Brooklyn Center Police Department for 26 years, has already been placed under standard administrative leave.
New York Post reported that Tim Gannon, the Brooklyn Center Police Chief, said the death of Daunte Wright resulted from an accidental discharge by the cop, whom he did not immediately identify because her job now is not only in the line, but also his family's security.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott on Monday said that they could not afford to make mistakes that could lead to the "loss of life of other people in our profession."
The Brooklyn Center Mayor further noted that he fully supports the officer's release of her duties. However, Gannon pointed out that the officer has a right to "due process." The police chief mentioned that he thinks they can look at the video and ascertain whether she will return on duty.
Gannon noted that he was unaware if there's a weapon recovered inside Wright's vehicle or none. But he clarified that officers initially pulled the victim over because of his expired registration.
He said during the interview that there's no gun mentioned in the investigation. But the video showed that an individual was trying to get back into his vehicle to evade police officers. The Minnesota BCA is handling the investigation into the death of Daunte Wright.
Biden Says Mistake Does Not Justify Violence
President Joe Biden emphasized during his interview in the Oval Office on Monday that there was no justification for Minneapolis' violence after Daunte Wright was shot and killed by an officer, Daily Mail reported.
Biden noted that peaceful protest is understandable, but there is no justification for protesters' looting and aggressiveness.
The president said that he had already seen the body camera footage of Daunte Wright being shot. But he noted that whether it was an accident or intentional remains to be determined.
Protesters and law enforcement clashed on Sunday night. Images from the scene on Monday showed that protesters are back on the streets prompting police to wear their riot gear and National Guard troops deployed in anticipation of another unrest.
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WATCH: Daunte Wright bodycam: Police Officer Shouts 'Taser' Before Firing Gun - From The Telegraph
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