Katie Wright is demanding that action be taken against a Minnesota police officer she claimed assaulted her. She said that she wanted the officer fired.
Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, the Black driver who was killed by then-Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, has taken to Facebook to share details about the incident that occurred Wednesday night.
Wright also uploaded footage showing her encounter with the male police officer. Brooklyn Center officials have also decided to release the body camera video of the incident to the public.
Katie Wright says she was assaulted Wednesday night by an officer in the city where her son was killed.
Katie Wright films cop during traffic stop
The video shows Daunte Wright‘s mother filming a police officer who was arresting a person across multiple lanes of traffic.
The officer placed the suspect in the back of his vehicle and walked toward Wright.
Moments before, the person being apprehended could be heard saying: “I don’t wanna be on that camera over there. She’s recording over there. I don’t want my face on camera because I don’t know what the f**k’s going on.”
The law enforcer asks Katie Wright for her driver’s license, and she refuses.
The officer threatens to jail her by saying: “You’re going to give me your driver’s license, or I’m going to take you to jail for obstruction,”
As the officer attempts to pull Wright’s wrist to get the phone, she tells him: “You know who I am, right? My name is Katie Wright, and you guys killed my son.”
She lets the officer know that she will sue the entire police department if she is jailed. The pair goes on to have an unpleasant exchange.
The officer said: “You can’t sit on the side of the road!” She responded: “Do not ever touch me again.” The officer answered: “I’ll send you a ticket in the mail.” Wright concluded by: “then send me a ticket.”
Daunte Wright’s mother goes after cop in video during press conference
In a press conference on Thursday, Wright explained why the officer should be fired from his post by explaining: “I don’t want a police officer like that patrolling our community. He escalated a situation that didn’t need to be escalated. I was only doing what was right and what everyone else should do.”
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU of Minnesota): “You have the right to record police actions as long as you do not interfere with their activities and are not breaking any other law.”
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott reacted to the footage via CNN. He stated: “I’m really sad to see how Ms. Wright was treated…seemed unnecessary to approach Ms. Wright…whatever was happening in the police situation that they were dealing with had largely subsided.”
The politician told the news network that the police officer’s actions are still under review and “any disciplinary decisions are forthcoming.”
The city of Brooklyn Center issued a statement that read: “While assisting another agency on a high-risk stop as part of a homicide investigation, there was an encounter between Katie Wright and Brooklyn Center officers.”
It went on to say that body camera footage was released to the public and the media “in an effort to promote public safety and dispel widespread rumor or unrest.”
The incident involving Katie Wright comes less than three months after the sentencing of Kim Potter.
Kim Potter was sentenced to 2 years in prison
Potter was found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter after killing Daunte Wright.
The 26-year police veteran claimed to have mistaken her handgun for her taser on April 11, 2021, when she pulled over a Black motorist, Daunte Wright, 20, and shot him dead.
The jury of twelve reached their verdict, finding Kim Potter guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter, a crime which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In the photo, which was released afterward, Potter was eerily grinning widely.
It took 28 hours of deliberation for the jury of six men and six women to reach their verdict, and it appeared at some points like there would not be a verdict reached at all.
The jury, made up of nine White people, two Asian people, and one Black person, discussed the evidence for four days before the 8-day trial wrapped up with a guilty verdict.
The prosecution argued that the death of Daunte Wright was avoidable and ultimately was able to prove recklessness or culpable negligence on Potter’s part.
The defense claimed that the ex-police officer made an honest mistake that was not strong enough to result in a different verdict.
As Potter left the courtroom, her husband was heard shouting, “I love you, Kim.” He had attended the hearing with their sons.
However, despite the defense attorney Paul Engh arguing for Potter to be reunited with her family for the holiday season, Judge Regina Chu ordered the former cop to be taken into custody and held without bail.
Mr. Engh described Potter as a “devoted Catholic,” stressing the reasons he believed she should be allowed to enjoy the Christmas period with her family.
However, Judge Chu noted that this case could not be treated any differently than other cases.
Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this year.