Police Chief: Minnesota Officer Who Shot Black Man Meant to Draw Taser, Not Gun

bisa18 (18)in #news • 4 years ago

The shooting death of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb Sunday sparked protests just 10 miles away from the ongoing trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

The police officer who shot and killed a Black man in a Minneapolis suburb meant to draw her taser and not her handgun, the city's police chief said Monday, describing the event as an "accidental discharge."

"It is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said during a press conference Monday, where he released body camera footage of the shooting of Daunte Wright, 20.

An unidentified officer is heard on the body camera footage yelling, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" before firing a single shot. The officer is then heard saying, "Holy s---, I shot him."
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READ Police Shooting of Black Man in Minnesota Sparks Protests ]

"This appears to me, from what I viewed, and the officer's reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright," Gannon said.

The shooting of Wright sparked protests Sunday in the metropolitan area, which is already on edge as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continues just 10 miles away. Chauvin is facing murder charges for the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, last May.

Gannon said that Wright was pulled over because of a traffic violation and officers subsequently learned he had a warrant out for his arrest. When officers tried to detain Wright, Gannon noted, he stepped back into his car and the officer shot him. The car then reportedly traveled several blocks before crashing. Emergency personnel pronounced Wright dead at the scene.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott called the shooting "deeply tragic" and said that the city would do "everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole." President Joe Biden called Elliott to offer support, the mayor said.
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The shooting comes amid a national reckoning over race and policing that began in earnest last summer with the death of Floyd.

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters that she spoke with her son on the phone as he was being pulled over and that his girlfriend was in the car with him.

She urged demonstrators Sunday to stay peaceful.

"All the violence, if it keeps going, it's only going to be about the violence. We need it to be about why my son got shot for no reason," she said, according to The Associated Press.

Claire Hansen, Staff Writer

Claire Hansen is a staff writer who covers immigration, gun policy and marijuana policy, as ... Read more

Tags: Minnesota, crime

The shooting death of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb Sunday sparked protests just 10 miles away from the ongoing trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

An unidentified officer is heard on the body camera footage yelling, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" before firing a single shot. The officer is then heard saying, "Holy s---, I shot him."
[

READ Police Shooting of Black Man in Minnesota Sparks Protests ]

The shooting comes amid a national reckoning over race and policing that began in earnest last summer with the death of Floyd.

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters that she spoke with her son on the phone as he was being pulled over and that his girlfriend was in the car with him.

She urged demonstrators Sunday to stay peaceful.

"All the violence, if it keeps going, it's only going to be about the violence. We need it to be about why my son got shot for no reason," she said, according to The Associated Press.

Claire Hansen, Staff Writer

Claire Hansen is a staff writer who covers immigration, gun policy and marijuana policy, as ... Read more

Tags: Minnesota, crime

4 years ago in #news by bisa18 (18)

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Police Chief: Minnesota Officer Who Shot Black Man Meant to Draw Taser, Not Gun

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