Ex-Minnesota Cop Kim Potter, Who Fatally Shot Daunte Wright, Gets Out of Jail

Ex-Minnesota cop Kim Potter, who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright, was released from prison on Monday.

According to Yahoo! News, officials at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, where the ex-Minnesota cop served her 16-month term, said she was freed around 4 a.m. because of safety concerns and the prospect of violent protests outside the facility.

"Based on the intelligence we gathered, we released Ms. Potter at a time we felt was safest for her and for everyone at the correctional facility," a spokesperson for the prison said in a statement.

The 26-year police veteran was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter for the April 2021 fatal shooting of Wright in a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb, during which she confused her gun for her Taser.

The police department noted that Potter will be on supervised release in Wisconsin until December 21. Minnesota was at the peak of civil unrest following George Floyd's murder in May 2020 when Potter was tried and sentenced.

Ex-Minnesota Cop Kim Potter Was Protecting a Fellow Officer, Says Judge

At Kim Potter's sentencing, Judge Regina Chu said the ex-Minnesota cop was trying to save a fellow officer standing between Daunte Wright's car and the other officer, according to Fox News.

During the terrifying incident, Potter can be heard on her body camera saying, "I will tase you!" Taser! Taser! Taser!" before firing one shot. She can be heard shouting, "I got the wrong f--king gun," before she collapsed on the sidewalk in distress.

Potter's legal team has claimed that her acts were an "innocent mistake," and they have accused Wright of being the aggressor.

"To the family of Daunte Wright, I am so sorry that I brought the death of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew," said Potter as she apologized during her sentencing.

Potter added: "Katie, I understand a mother's love, and I am sorry I broke your heart. My heart is broken for all of you."

The Wright family actively sought the maximum sentence of more than eight years. However, Chu imposed a sentence of 16 months, much shorter than the minimum mandatory penalty of a little over six years set by state guidelines.

Settlement to Daunte Wright's Family Has Not Been Distributed

The family of Daunte Wright agreed to a payment of $3.25 million from the city of Brooklyn Center in June 2022 as part of a settlement, CNN reported.

The Wright family noted they were "hopeful" to get the payment within the next 90 days, as it has yet to be dispersed due to other unrelated legal disputes.

The officers of the Brooklyn Center Police Department will be required to attend implicit bias training as part of the settlement agreement. Newly elected mayor of the city, April Graves, has admitted there has been no training so far, but plans are in the works to implement the training.

Wright was killed just as the high-profile trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was ultimately convicted of murdering George Floyd, was being carried out.

Protests against racial injustice and police brutality were held in numerous major U.S. cities and even in some international locations after Floyd's death.

Daunte Wright's mother, Katie, told CNN she was "dreading" Kim Potter's release and having difficulty finding closure and peace. Following the stress of the ex-Minnesota cop's trial and conviction, Katie noted that she suffered a stroke that temporarily left her with blurred vision.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Kim Potter Released From Prison Monday Morning - From KARE 11