Officer Kim Potter is charged with second-degree manslaughter

Irwin

Irwin

Well-known Member
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
The former police officer who mistook her gun for her taser and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, is set to go on trial on Dec. 6, after a Hennepin Court Judge decided there was probable cause for the case to move forward. Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Wright.
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Manslaughter in the Second Degree occurs when a person continues with a reckless act that they are aware of committing, and they consciously disregard the potentially fatal risks involved to others. The risk must be of the type that any reasonable person would not ignore.
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I don't think she was aware that she was committing a reckless act. It looked like she honestly mistook her gun for her taser. I'm not sure how, since her taser was bright yellow and is much lighter and a different shape than a real pistol, but it looked like she really did think she had her taser. She yelled "TASER! TASER!" before pulling the trigger, and then she looked like she was shocked when it fired a bullet.

She might have just been really freaked out in the intense situation, which muddled her thinking. It's possible.
 

If a police officer is that negligent/careless/out-to-lunch where they cannot differentiate between a sidearm or taser, then A, there should be no place for them on any police force, B, the individual should be dismissed, and C, never allowed to work in a position that requires them to carry a gun ever again.
 
For those who aren't familiar, officers carry a Taser on the opposite side of their handgun in a Cross Draw holster. It requires a draw across the body; that's why the grip & holster are in reverse with the butt (grip) pointed forward.

Strong Side (Handgun):
Concealed Carry: The Strong Side

Cross Draw (Taser)
r/AskLE - Why do some police departments have cross draw taser holsters ?
 
I've actually never seen a hand gun in my entire life!
I've seen 'em on TV of course but never in real life so I wouldn't know the first thing about the difference between a hand gun and a taser gun.
 
She's already been fired as "former" police officer indicates, so we can put that aside.
It seems like simple manslaughter to me. She didn't look down at her belt she grabbed something she thought was her taser, she didn't think about the weight she didn't take time to think at all. But, I can't see where she "continued with a reckless act she was aware of committing." The second she shot him she said 'Oh sh** I shot him!" and stopped. Where was the continuing? Where was the awareness if she was shouting "Taser ! Taser!"

Are we just charging people with anything we want to now because someone ends up dead? We better hope we don't get into a fatal traffic accident (our fault or not) or bump into a ladder.

I once got rushing too much while cooking dinner and put the packet of spices on the bowl of spaghetti instead of in the boiling pan of sauce where it belonged. Now spaghetti is white and pasta sauce is red, the pan of sauce weighed much more than the colander of spaghetti, and I still did it. People get flustered and do wrong things. At least I do, maybe no one else does.
 
Della said:
She's already been fired as "former" police officer indicates, so we can put that aside.
It seems like simple manslaughter to me. She didn't look down at her belt she grabbed something she thought was her taser, she didn't think about the weight she didn't take time to think at all. But, I can't see where she "continued with a reckless act she was aware of committing." The second she shot him she said 'Oh sh** I shot him!" and stopped. Where was the continuing? Where was the awareness if she was shouting "Taser ! Taser!"

Are we just charging people with anything we want to now because someone ends up dead? We better hope we don't get into a fatal traffic accident (our fault or not) or bump into a ladder.

I once got rushing too much while cooking dinner and put the packet of spices on the bowl of spaghetti instead of in the boiling pan of sauce where it belonged. Now spaghetti is white and pasta sauce is red, the pan of sauce weighed much more than the colander of spaghetti, and I still did it. People get flustered and do wrong things. At least I do, maybe no one else does.
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I agree. I'm not really defending her, I forget some of the details offhand, but I'd like to see some of these naysayers be so cool under fire when they're in a scuffle like that. Most would wilt like a damp Kleenex.
 
garyt1957 said:
I agree. I'm not really defending her, I forget some of the details offhand, but I'd like to see some of these naysayers be so cool under fire when they're in a scuffle like that. Most would wilt like a damp Kleenex.
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The fact the officer had 26 years under her belt tells me she had lots of time and experience to fine-tune her skills differentiating between her taser and her gun.

The other issue that troubles me is, people buying into the idea that she was under pressure. She wasn't under pressure, the suspect had no weapon, the officers closed to him weren't being overpowered by the driver of the car, there was no immediate danger to anyone.
 
When I wore a Taser, I always wore it on my left side, opposite my duty weapon. I am right-handed. I have a Taser here at home and there is a definite distinct difference. Could she have been that excited that she just messed up? I don’t know.
 
Aunt Marg said:
The fact the officer had 26 years under her belt tells me she had lots of time and experience to fine-tune her skills differentiating between her taser and her gun.

The other issue that troubles me is, people buying into the idea that she was under pressure. She wasn't under pressure, the suspect had no weapon, the officers closed to him weren't being overpowered by the driver of the car, there was no immediate danger to anyone.
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I agree, not under pressure, and no "oopsies, made a boo boo" when it comes to taking a human life. May he rest peaceful, my heartfelt condolences to his mother and family. This reckless murder by cops in the USA has got to stop, or at least slow down. :(
 
SeaBreeze said:
I agree, not under pressure, and no "oopsies, made a boo boo" when it comes to taking a human life. May he rest peaceful, my heartfelt condolences to his mother and family. This reckless murder by cops in the USA has got to stop, or at least slow down. :(
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I agree, SeaBreeze.

It's became too common, and my worry is if the trend continues, sooner or later people become numb to it, they slowly move away from caring. At least (so it seems) there is heightened anger and support for change right now, and I hope the movement continues.
 
Laser on her left side. Is she left handed, tired and relieved to be off the streets/work, so when she was shocked to see the guy, she frantically reached for a weapon with her left hand - the Taser? ?????????
 
wilt like a wet kleenix? I would not 'wilt' but I may mess my pants a couple times and be realy shaky. the hyped up adrenal secretion during a panic situation is enough to make most shaky enough to miss when firing a weapon but drawing the wrong one? I dont think so considering they are carried on opposite sides of the utility belt..
 
It's hard to believe it was a deliberate act, but it's also hard to believe it wasn't. We shall see what comes out in the trial. If she truly made a mistake, she'll testify to it.
 
911 said:
When I wore a Taser, I always wore it on my left side, opposite my duty weapon. I am right-handed. I have a Taser here at home and there is a definite distinct difference. Could she have been that excited that she just messed up? I don’t know.
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Maybe she is dyslexic. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, so when she meant to draw right, she drew left?? That's not meant to draw a "That's ridiculous" comment from the board, because it's humanly possible. OK, I know, I'm grasping at 10 foot straws!!
 
Whether it was deliberate or accidental, a young life has been
taken, I will be generous and say that it was an accident that was
made.

Now, because she was a Policewoman at the time of the accident,
an example must be made, because of all the publicity about the
large number of deaths caused by the police.

Sad really, no matter why or how, two lives are destroyed, one for
ever, the other ?????

Mike.
 
Her comments during the incident indicate an awareness that she made a mistake, no matter the reason why.

We all make mistakes, no one is perfect. The difference is that our mistakes typically aren’t deadly, don’t typically result in someone being killed. An awareness of the seriousness of decisions and mistakes is part of the burden that a police officer carries, and that includes the potentially deadly outcome of an “oops“ moment.

I don’t think about it much, but every time I get behind the wheel of my vehicle I’m operating a machine that can kill...me or anyone else it comes into contact with. If I take my eyes off the road for a second to adjust the radio and that results in an accident where someone is killed, that’s on me. Doesn’t matter that it was an accident, I am still guilty of manslaughter.

While I understand that there are many nuances and subtleties to the situation with the officer, differences between what she did and my example, I believe the overall scenarios are the same. I’m going to be held accountable for my actions while driving my vehicle, I think the officer should too.
 

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