Nathan Layne

(Reuters) -A Minnesota judge has sentenced Kimberly Potter, a former officer of police, for the manslaughter that resulted in Daunte Wright’s fatal shooting. Prosecutors asked for seven years imprisonment and her attorney for probation. He called it “an unintentional offense.”

Potter, who mistakenly took her Taser as her handgun when firing at Wright, 20 years old, in response to officers pulling him over in Minneapolis, last April, was found guilty by the jury of first-degree, second-degree manslaughter.

Wright’s family asked Judge Regina Chu, Minneapolis sentencing judge, to give Wright the maximum sentence. She questioned her sincerity and remorse.

Katie Wright, Potter’s mother, was critical of Potter for failing mention her son’s name during her testimony.

Wright stated to the court that Wright had left her world in so much pain and darkness. “I’ll never be able to forgive you,” she told Potter.

Paul Engh (one of Potter’s lawyers) said that Potter meant no disrespect to her booking photograph, which depicts her smiling. According to him, he asked her smile when a prison officer requested it.

Engh asked the judge if Wright had refused to be arrested. This he stated was an “aggressive action” and sought a sentence with probation.

Engh said that it was unintentional. Engh explained that the incident was unintentional.

Brooklyn Center was the scene of multiple protests, drawing national attention during a time when Americans were struggling with racism and violence from police officers.

The incident took place just miles from the scene where Derek Chauvin (a former Minneapolis officer) was on trial for murdering George Floyd. Floyd was a Black man, who’s 2020 arrest led to demonstrations all over the country.

Chauvin was convicted for murder after he repeatedly knelt against Floyd’s neck over a period of nine minutes. He and Potter both are white.

Minnesota’s attorney general is proposing that Potter be held for 86 months or 7 years and 2 months in accordance with the state guidelines on first-degree murder.

A defendant facing multiple charges under state law is only sentenced to the most serious charge.

In a Tuesday memo, Attorney General Keith Ellison stated that life is something society regards with the greatest respect. It is impossible to excuse or minimize the recklessness of defendant Potter in using her firearm, causing Daunte Wright’s death.

Potter’s attorneys argued for leniency citing her absence of any prior convictions, 26 years without a complaint and her remorse during her emotional testimony.

The argument was centred on an 1982 state Supreme Court case that affirmed Richard Trog’s lower court sentence to five years probation, rather than the mandatory prison term. The argument was that Judge Chu ought to view Potter similarly to Trog because he did not have any prior criminal records and is a contrite.

Wright had his registration expired and Potter pulled him over with a second officer. The officers then discovered that Wright was wanted for an arrest warrant on a misdemeanor weapon charge. They attempted to take him into custody. Wright was adamant and refused to be held hostage by the second officer.

Potter shouted “Taser,” and shot at Wright with her pistol, as video taken from her body-worn cam showed. Potter stated that she was afraid for her life because of the presence of another officer, who entered the vehicle through the passenger-side door.