The National Archives broke the story Tuesday that Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man who died at the hands of police over the weekend, was stopped by police for expired license plates, not for “air fresheners,” as his mother and Black Lives Matter activists claimed. And police later reported that Wright had an active arrest warrant in his name for attempted aggravated robbery for allegedly demanding $820 in rent from a woman at gunpoint.
Wright was resisting arrest when a female officer, Kimberly Potter, mistook a service pistol for a Taser and shot Wright, resulting in his death.
According to a police report filed by Officer Shane Mikkelson, Wright was walking the female victim to the door when he “pulled a black handgun with silver trim from his right waistband or right coat pocket, pointed the gun at the victim and demanded the rent that the victim was to give to the landlord.” In a video taken shortly before Wright’s death, he can be seen displaying a black handgun with silver trim. According to the police report, Wright told the victim, “Give me the fucking money, I know you have it, I’m not playing around.”
“The $820 in cash was stuffed inside the victim’s bra and defendant Wright put his hands around the victim’s neck, choking her while trying to pull the cash out from under her bra.”
The report also states that Wright then threatened to shoot the victim if she did not give him the money.
Ultimately, Wright and an accomplice were somehow unable to get the money and fled in a white Cadillac, according to the report.
Wright’s bail was initially set at $100,000 and he was ordered not to have contact with the victim or any witnesses, not to use drugs or alcohol and not to carry any weapons. A bail bondsman paid his $40,000 bail, but court documents show his bail was revoked last July because he “did not refrain from possessing firearms or ammunition” and did not maintain contact with his probation officer. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest at that time, which was still outstanding on the day of his death.
On Sunday, Wright died just 10 miles from the scene of Floyd’s death, which led to unrest in Minnesota and nationwide. Protests erupted overnight in New York, Washington, D.C., Portland, Seattle and elsewhere.
Officer Kimberly Potter’s (R) five-bedroom property was completely trashed during the protests. Officer and Mrs. Potter left the property late Monday night along with their two adult sons.
Both Officer Potter and Sheriff Tim Gannon resigned on Tuesday amid mounting pressure for Potter to step down.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is the agency investigating Wright’s death. Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney who helped Floyd’s family win a $27 million legal settlement against the city of Minneapolis, also served as legal representative for the Wrights this time.
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