Kim Potter's attorney says the former Minnesota police officer will testify at her manslaughter trial
- Kim Potter's attorney said the former Minnesota cop will testify during her manslaughter trial.
- Potter was charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Duante Wright.
Kim Potter's attorney told a potential juror on Tuesday that the former Minnesota police officer will testify in her manslaughter trial.
The white, former Brooklyn Center cop was charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Duante Wright, a Black man.
Potter shot Wright during a traffic stop in April after pulling him over for driving with an expired license plate. Potter and her partner attempted to detain Wright after determining that he had a warrant out for his arrest for not appearing in court for a previous charge, police say.
Potter has claimed that she intended to shoot Wright with her Taser, not her gun, and body camera footage shows her shouting "Taser!" before shooting Wright in the chest. She has pleaded not guilty.
Jury selection began on Tuesday
Jury selection began on Tuesday in Potter's trial with the prosecution and defense attorneys asking potential jurors various questions about their opinions about police and the Black Lives Matter movement.
One potential juror said their initial reaction when they heard about Wright's killing was, "How can this happen?"
Potter's attorney, Paul Engh, told the potential juror that he would "clarify some of those things" and that Potter will testify during the trial.
"Officer Potter will testify and she will tell you what she remembers happened," Engh told the potential juror. "So, you will know not just from the video, but from the officers at the scene, and officer Potter herself, what was occurring. I think that you'd be quite interested in hearing what she has to say."
The potential juror, a retired special education teacher who also taught English to immigrants, was approved by both the prosecution and the defense and was seated on the jury.
Potter shot Wright during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted for the murder of George Floyd. Floyd's murder in May 2020 sparked racial justice protests that lasted through the summer nationwide.
Brooklyn Center is a suburb of the Twin Cities about 10 miles north of the courthouse where Chauvin was on trial. Now Potter is on trial in the same courthouse.
Floyd's girlfriend, Courtney Ross, said at a press conference on Tuesday there was "no excuse" for Potter's actions. Ross was also Wright's former teacher at Thomas Edison High School in Minneapolis.
Jury selection in Potter's trial will continue on Wednesday and opening statements are expected to start on December 8. The trial is expected to conclude by December 23, Judge Regina Chu said on Tuesday. Potter faces a total of up to 25 years in prison and $50,000 in fines if convicted on both counts.