Chicago protesters want officer who killed Daunte Wright charged
CHICAGO - Intense body camera video shows Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter pulling her gun instead of a taser when 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed during a traffic stop in Minnesota.
Since his killing, the calls for justice have been growing louder, as 150 protesters flooded the streets of downtown Chicago on Tuesday.
Members of the same group have called for justice in the deaths of unarmed Black men shot and killed at the hands of police before.
"9 times out of 10 there’s always a white officer killing a Black man. We can eliminate that if we have Black officers in the Black communities," said Activist Tio Hardiman.
Potter was a 26-year veteran on the Brooklyn Center PD. She has since resigned. But activists say that’s not good enough and that she needs to be charged.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner says Wright was shot in the chest and ruled his death a homicide.
"She had time enough to think about everything from right to left, and then you grab your gun with your strong hand?" said Activist Troy Gaston.
Daunte Wright (Daunte Wright family)
Questions still surround how the shooting happened. How did Potter pull a gun instead of a bright yellow taser? Would the gun feel heavier than the taser.
"Yes when you’re calm, under your fine motor skills it does feel heavier than the other, we don’t know what kind of stress she or the other officer was under," said Michael Brown, a gun instructor.
The Washington Post reports that Black people account for less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, but are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans. Hispanic Americans are also killed by police at a disproportionate rate.
"If you decide to put on this uniform as a law enforcement officer and you result to racial hate and bigotry, either you’re going to jail and ultimately your soul will be required in hell," said Activist Eric Russell.