The police officer involved in the shooting death of a 20-year-old African-American man during a car stop Sunday (April 11) in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has resigned, as has the police chief of this Minneapolis suburb.
People take cover from tear gas released by police into a crowd of protesters outside the Brooklyn Center, Minn. police station. Local police shot and killed a black man, sparking protests. (April 12, 2021)
Kimberly A. Porter.
Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, submitted her letter of resignation Tuesday (April 13). In her letter, she said, “While I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, I believe it would be in the best interest of the community, the police department and my fellow officers for me to resign immediately.”
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said in a report that Porter killed Daunte Wright during a car stop and check Sunday afternoon. The report said Wright died of a gunshot wound to the chest and classified the cause of death as homicide.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot (Mike Elliot) also announced Tuesday that Police Chief Tim Cannon (Tim Gannon) will also resign.
Gannon said at a press conference Monday that he believes Porter thought he was using a Taser and accidentally struck Wright. Tasers are non-lethal electroshock weapons that incapacitate an opponent through electric shock, thus allowing police to approach and safely dispose of the opponent without resistance.
The shooting led to protests erupting around town for two consecutive nights. Hundreds of protesters of the shooting gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Monday night. Police used tear gas canisters and flashbangs in an attempt to disperse the crowd after a new ban on back-to-back nights went into effect.
There were some clashes between protesters and police during the period when officers were removing the protesters from the police station.
Some in the crowd threw objects at police and about 40 people were arrested, authorities said. By Tuesday morning, the protesters had largely dispersed.
The shooting is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
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