Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright after mistaking her gun for a Taser, has been sentenced to two years behind bars.
A jury in December convicted 49-year-old Potter on counts of first- and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the deadly incident, which unfolded during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis part of Brooklyn Center.
On Friday, February 18, she was imprisoned for two years, which is far less than the standard of about seven years for manslaughter, after a judge said leniency was warranted because the officer had meant to fire her Taser and not her gun.
She’ll be required to serve for 16 months and will be eligible for release any time after with good behavior.
The remaining time would be served on supervised release. Potter was credited for already serving 58 days.
“To those who disagree and feel a longer prison sentence is appropriate, as difficult as it may be, please try to empathize with Ms. Potter’s situation,” Judge Regina Chu said after handing down the sentence, adding that Wright’s life “mattered.”
