Jury finds Kim Potter guilty on both counts for the shooting death of Daunte Wright

Over the course of their deliberations, the jury asked two questions, the first being, “If the jury cannot reach consensus, what is the guidance around how long and what steps should be taken?” They also requested that zip ties securing the gun stored in an evidence box be removed so jurors could hold the weapon. Judge Chu allowed that request, but asked that jurors secure the gun with zip ties once they were done handling it. She also noted that the weapon was fully secured and not loaded.

The gun was used by Potter, apparently by accident, as she repeatedly yelled “Taser!” before fatally shooting Wright, who had been pulled over for expired license plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Prosecutors noted that Potter was in such close range of other officers that the bullet casing from the gun hit Officer Trainee Anthony Luckey in the face as he was attempting to prevent Wright from fleeing the scene by driving away. Potter repeatedly noted throughout the trial and while she was on the witness stand that, were it not for Luckey’s insistence, she wouldn’t have pulled over Wright for such minor infractions.

Judge Chu polled all jurors, who unanimously found that the guilty verdicts were “true and correct.” As Chu was polling the jurors, Potter sat between her defense team relatively stone-faced while attorney Earl Gray appeared to rest his hand on his clasped hands that were on the desk in front of them. Potter will be held in custody without bail. A tentative sentencing date is scheduled for Feb. 18, while the defense will be given until Jan. 31 to file a written motion for a disposition departure, which would allow Potter to potentially serve less than the total amount of her sentence if granted. The prosecution will have until Feb. 14 to respond.