Minnesota Police Chief resigns over Daunte Wright traffic stop shooting

Police Chief Tim Gannon has resigned
AP
Luke O'Reilly13 April 2021

A Minnesotan police chief has resigned after one of his officers fatally shot a black man during a traffic stop.

Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned two days after the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Centre, near Minneapolis, at the hands of officer Kim Potter.

Ms Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, has also handed in her resignation. She had been on administrative leave following Sunday's shooting.

The city's police chief has said he believes Ms Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was going for her Taser.

Katie Wright
Katie Wright, mother of Daunte Wright
AP

She can be heard on her body camera video shouting "Taser. Taser".

"Whenever, through the line of duty, someone kills another human being, there must be accountability," Brooklyn Centre Mayor Mike Elliott told the Today show earlier on Tuesday.

Activists and some residents say Mr Wright was racially profiled, and his death has sparked two days of clashes between police and protesters.

The shooting happened as the Minneapolis area was already on edge over the trial of the first of four police officers in George Floyd's death.

Mr Wright was shot as police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

"I'll Tase you. I'll Tase you. Taser. Taser. Taser," the officer is heard shouting on her body cam footage released on Monday.

She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.

After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away, and the officer is heard saying, "Holy (expletive). I shot him."

Brooklyn Centre City police chief Tim Gannon also resigned following the incident.

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