Brooklyn Center mayor Mike Elliott calls on Daunte Wright case to be reassigned to state Attorney General Keith Ellison to 'ensure transparency' as protests enter third night
The mayor of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota is calling for Daunte Wright's case to be reassigned as angry protests continue into a third night.
Wright, 20, was shot and killed by cop Kimberly Potter who said she mistook her gun for a taser during a traffic stop.
During a news briefing Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Mike Elliott said he would ask Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to have state Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office take over the investigation 'to ensure transparency and to continue building trust in our community'.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput is currently handling the case, despite the shooting happening in Hennepin County, due to state law involving police-involved shooting cases.
A decision on charging Potter could come as early as Wednesday. It's not clear what charges Potter might face.
Mayor Elliott's call to action came ahead of a third night of protests following Wright's fatal shooting.
Potter's home was barricaded up on Tuesday, with officers posted inside as a group of protesters gathered at the fences.
Meanwhile, protesters and police also clashed outside the Brooklyn Center Police precinct, where demonstrators created umbrella barricades while cops pelted them with gas and flash bangs.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott is asking for the shooting cause of Daunte Wright to be reassigned to state to 'ensure transparency' in the wake of Sunday's shooting death
Daunte Wright (left) was killed by Kimberly Potter, a veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police (right) during a traffic stop on Sunday, sparking days of protests
Tuesday night marked the third night of protests as police officers used flash bangs to clear crowds near the Brooklyn Center Police Department
Ellison, the state Attorney General in Minnesota, addressed protesters on Monday night in Brooklyn Center.
'Raise your voices, but let's do it in a way that everybody stays safe,' Ellison said, according to KARE 11. 'We don't need no more casualties, no more martyrs.'
Ellison is responsible for another high-profile prosecution, that of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, with the sensational trial ongoing.
Both Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned after he released bodycam video of the incident, going against the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
That bodycam video shows Potter expressing shock after she fired her gun at Wright instead of her Taser, like she thought she had.
Mayor Mike Elliott said he would ask Democratic Gov. Tim Walz (right) to have state Attorney General Keith Ellison’s (left) office take over the investigation
Police released footage of the incident from Potter's bodycam, showing her and two other officers approaching Wright's car after he had been pulled over for a traffic stop.
The footage showed one officer trying to handcuff Wright as a second officer told him he was being arrested on a warrant. Wright immediately jumped back into his car in an apparent attempt to flee.
A struggle then broke out between the officers and Wright, who was still sitting inside his car.
'I'll Tase you! I'll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!' Potter could be heard shouting in her bodycam video.
Immediately after, Potter can be heard saying, 'Holy sh*t. I shot him.'
Wright drove several blocks before coming to a stop when he hit another car. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his girlfriend, who was a passenger in the car, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Wright's death has been ruled a homicide, with a gunshot wound to the chest listed as his cause of death.
Meanwhile, city manager Curt Boganey was fired after Potter was 'entitled to due process.'
Demonstrators were faced with a curfew on Tuesday night in Brooklyn Center
The National Guard was called in to defend the Brooklyn Center Police Department
Protests continue to rock the city and the region as the legal process begins to play out for everyone involved.
A 10pm curfew was in place for Tuesday night, but an unlawful assembly was declared with 90 minutes to spare, leading to the use of pepper spray and flash bombs.
Curfews were in place for Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crystal, Columbia Heights, New Hope and Maple Grove from 10pm local time, KSTP reports.
Demonstrators began gathering Tuesday at the city's heavily guarded police headquarters, ringed by concrete barriers and a tall metal fence.
Police in riot gear and National Guard soldiers stood watch as more than 1,000 protestors arrived early in the evening.
According to FOX 9, 34 arrests were made on Monday night as there were isolated incidents of looting, including damage to a Dollar Tree that had items stolen and windows smashed in.
No comments