What happened to Daunte Wright?
On April 11 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officers pulled over 20-year-old Daunte Wright for driving with expired registration tags and having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Officer Kim Potter and her partner discovered that Wright had a warrant out for his arrest, and decided to arrest Wright, who was unarmed.
Body camera footage shows Wright trying to get back into his car as the police tried to handcuff him. Potter pulled her handgun out and fired one shot at Wright while calling out “taser.” After driving a few blocks, Wright’s car crashed into another vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Wright’s autopsy determined he was shot once in the chest.
What happened to Adam Toledo?
On April 15, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, an independent police watchdog agency, released body camera footage showing police shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo on March 29.
According to police accounts, two officers chased Toledo and another man into an alley. Officer Eric Stillman shouted at Toledo. After complying, Toledo raised his empty hands in the air. Stillman then fired one shot at the boy, hitting him in the chest. Stillman then called an ambulance and performed CPR on Toledo, telling him “stay with me.”
What charges have been brought against Potter and Stillman?
Potter, who is white, resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police shortly after she was charged with second-degree manslaughter for killing Wright. Potter worked for the Police Department for 26 years. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon also resigned from his position on April 13.
No charges have been brought against Stillman for shooting Toledo, but he was placed on administrative duties for 30 days.
What has the national response been to these murders?
Beginning the night of April 11, a vigil was held near the scene of Wright’s death. Protests began in Brooklyn Center and surrounding cities, continuing every night throughout the rest of the week from April 11 up until the time of print on April 19. Curfews were imposed in Brooklyn Center as well as surrounding cities in Minnesota.
Protests and candlelight vigils have been held across the country after the killings of Wright and Toledo, including in Philadelphia, New York City, Kansas City, Omaha, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Portland. Protesters called for justice for the families, and for the officers who killed Wright and Toledo to be held accountable for their actions.
The trial of Derek Chauvin
Just 10 miles from where Wright was killed, former police officer Derek Chauvin was tried for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020. Chauvin has been found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.