Photo courtesy of Flickr
Lily Smith
News Reporter
Amidst the lengthy trial of Derek Chauvin, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On Sunday, April 11, Daunte was pulled over by officer Kim Potter for a traffic violation. However, when Wright attempted to get back in his car, officers began to attempt to bring him out of the vehicle forcefully. Seconds later, Potter yelled “Taser,” yet continued to wield her handgun and shoot Wright.
Footage from Potter’s body camera has surfaced online, causing outrage and questioning of her intentions. While some say the deputy meant to draw her taser and simply mistook the two weapons, others inquire how one can mix up a handgun that weighs over a pound more than a taser.
Newton South students themselves also share strong opinions on whether the killing was intentional or not. One student, Sarah Gelbert, explains, “I think that if a cop who has worked in the system for over twenty years cannot tell the difference between a taser and a gun, they shouldn’t have access to either.”
Further, even more rallies, protests, and vigils across the country have sparked. Specifically, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where the killing occurred, protests have been held every night since the event.
Some have pointed out that this is the Minneapolis police department’s second well-known police brutality-related death this year. The similarities between George Floyd and Daunte Wright don’t end there; Floyd’s former girlfriend, Courteney Ross, was Wright’s teacher in high school.
The devastating death of Daunte Wright took social media and America as a whole by storm. While George Floyd finally receives some form of justice, people continue to fight to achieve the same for Wright and countless others whose lives were unlawfully cut short.
