On April 11, 2021, in the midst of the ongoing Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 20 year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed in nearby Brooklyn Center by BCPD Officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop. She screamed “taser, taser, taser,” while holding her gun and firing a lethal shot into Daunte’s chest, as he tried to drive away upon being informed of his impending arrest for an outstanding warrant. He was not told what the warrant was for. Officer Potter claimed weapons confusion in that she mistook her gun for her taser. He was pulled over after Officer Luckey, a trainee who was being supervised by Potter, saw Daunte use the right turn signal while making a left turn. This led to the observation of expired tags and an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror.

Daunte’s killing set off a whirlwind of protests and unrest. Many local activists received the news while on a march lead by Toshira Garraway, the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. The march was in observance of the birthday of her fiancé, Justin Teigan who died while running from St. Paul police in 2009. The Daunte Wright protests began at the site where he was killed at 63rd Avenue and Katherine Drive and concluded that night in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department. There, police from multiple agencies clashed with many angry, traumatized protestors and members of the community. Tear gas and rubber bullets were heavily deployed, with numerous canisters clanking against the apartment buildings across the street. This triggered fear and uneasiness amongst its occupants, many of whom were African Americans with small children. Protestors threw trash and other items in the direction of the police line which was positioned directly in front of the building’s entry doors. Protests continued with increasing numbers for nearly a week and many participants were arrested for curfew violations and failing to disperse during a declared unlawful assembly. A line of fencing was installed around the station after the first night and more layers were added shortly after. Protests were quelled on April 16 after a mass arrest enforced by a kettle, left many protestors in handcuffs and detained. With the Derek Chauvin trial verdict looming, attention quickly shifted back to Minneapolis. Kim Potter resigned from her position on April 13 and was subsequently charged with first and second degree manslaughter. Daunte’s funeral and burial took place just days after Chauvin was convicted on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd. Daunte’s brother, Damik carried Daunte’s one year-old son, Daunte Jr. into the church. Reverend Al Sharpton gave the eulogy at the funeral and members of George Floyd’s family were amongst the attendees.

The trial began on December 8, inside the same courtroom where Derek Chauvin was convicted for the murder of George Floyd. As it moved along, many friends joined Daunte’s family for support inside the courthouse’s overflow viewing room, including family members of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and Oscar Grant. They played cards and the kids did puzzles to help get their minds off the stress. A small group of activists sat outside the courthouse every day that court was in session, chanting Daunte’s name despite thick snow covering the ground and frigid temperatures just above zero degrees. On December 23, Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran and field training officer, was convicted on all charges of manslaughter in the first and second degree after near 30 hours of jury deliberation. Activists celebrated the ruling outside the Hennepin County Government Center alongside members of Daunte’s family. On February 18, 2022, Kim Potter was sentenced to 24 months with 16 being served in prison and the other 8 on supervised release with good behavior and a $1,000 fine. Katie Bryant, Daunte’s mother remarked in relation to what was a very disappointing sentence to her family, “today the justice system murdered him all over again.”