Kim Potter Found Guilty of Manslaughter in Daunte Wright’s Death

Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, according to numerous news outlets. Fox News reports that Potter could face a maximum sentence of 15 years for the first-degree manslaughter charge, while a second-degree charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. CNN notes in their report that as Potter has no criminal history, Minnesota sentencing guidelines recommend a sentence roughly between 6 and 8.5 years in prison.

The mostly white jurors deliberated for more than 27 hours, according to USA Today. Potter, 49, fatally shot 20-year-old Wright during an April traffic stop-turned-arrest in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

Prosecutors said Potter, a veteran Brooklyn Center Police officer, recklessly handled her firearm and caused Wright's death through her "culpable negligence" – a disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk. The defense argued that Potter mistook her firearm for a Taser but was justified in using deadly force to prevent another officer from being injured.

Demonstrators outside the courthouse applauded and cheered after the verdict was announced, according to CNN.