MINNEAPOLIS — Supporters and family of Daunte Wright decried the two-year prison sentence handed down Friday to Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly Potter for Wright's killing.
The sentence was far too lenient, they said, and signaled a lack of reverence for Wright, 20, who died after Potter shot him in April during a traffic stop.
Tension erupted briefly inside the courthouse atrium following the sentencing, resulting in law enforcement handcuffing two people just before noon. The circumstances of their arrests were unclear.
Supporters of both Wright and Potter had gone to the courthouse for the morning sentencing.
Wright's family and activists shouted in disappointment afterward.
"Two ... years?" a few people yelled in disbelief.
Wright's mother, Katie Bryant, said Potter murdered her son and "today the justice system murdered him all over again."
"White women's tears trumps justice," she said, referring to Potter's tearful statement just before the sentence was handed down.
Potter, a 26-year police veteran, was found guilty in December of both first- and second-degree manslaughter, becoming the third officer in Minnesota to be convicted of killing a civilian while on the job. She had said it was an accident and she had meant to use her Taser.
In a statement, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters said Friday that while they disagreed with the trial verdict, they are thankful for Judge Regina Chu's "thoughtful approach" in sentencing "as she recognized Ms. Potter's law enforcement service and that she made a tragic mistake."
Wright's father, Arbuey Wright, said outside the courtroom that he felt cheated and hurt. "They were so tied up into [Potter's] feelings and what's going on with her that they forgot about my son being killed," he said. "I feel like we was tricked. We actually thought we was going to get a little justice … I walk out this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this lady got a slap on the wrist and we still every night sitting around crying waiting for my son to come home."
Wright broke into tears and stepped away from the podium as attorney Ben Crump said that there are Black people in jail serving more time for marijuana dealing than what Potter will serve.
Athena Papagiannopoulos, founder of Visual Black Justice, said her heart breaks for Wright's mother.
"For her to watch that her son is worth two years," she said. "To watch her heart shatter again and again. And then this is it … We're going to really see what you think our lives are worth as Black people. And that's what you get. It's really just disgusting."
Wright's killing led to large protests and civil unrest in Brooklyn Center, where extra patrols were on the streets Friday in an abundance of caution, said city spokeswoman Angel Smith. The city was unaware of any active threats or disruptive protests planned, but was ready to call in help from other agencies if necessary, she said.
A fence still surrounded the city's police station on Friday, a memorial and tribute site for Wright still in place. The city had planned on keeping the fence up through sentencing and said the timing for its removal was still being coordinated, Smith said.
Two workers at Brooklyn Center city hall had the sentencing broadcast on as they engaged in other tasks Friday morning. "It's a heavy day," said one of the desk workers, who declined to give her name. "It won't turn out well for anybody."
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