Officer who shot Daunte Wright makes initial court appearance

Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center, Minn., police officer charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of Daunte Wright, made her first court appearance Thursday after bonding out of jail late Wednesday.

On a brief Zoom hearing that occurred less than a week after Wright’s death on Sunday, Potter was informed of the terms of her bail agreement and of her next court appearance, which was set for May 17.

During the hearing, the judge noted that Potter’s next hearing before Judge Regina Chu would likely be in the courtroom, as in-person trials in the state are set to resume in the coming weeks.

Potter resigned from the police department this week and faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 if convicted. Brooklyn Center’s police chief, Thoman Gannon, also resigned, and city manager Curt Boganey was fired.

Activists have protested in the city for days over the 20-year-old’s shooting death, which occurred during a traffic stop after Potter and another officer apparently realized Wright had a warrant out for his arrest and he attempted to flee.

Before stepping down, Gannon said at a press conference that it appears that Potter meant to deploy a stun gun but mistakenly pulled her handgun instead.