The officer who fatally shot a 20-year-old man during a traffic stop in Minnesota has resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department, as has the department’s chief.
The Associated Press reports that Kim Potter offered her resignation on Tuesday, two days after she shot Daunte Wright.
Wright, who is Black, was reportedly pulled over due to expired tags, and officers learned during the traffic stop that he had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor. While one officer was attempting to handcuff him, another officer approached and Wright got back into the vehicle at that time. The incident was captured on police body cam footage that former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon played at a press conference on Monday.
The footage shows Potter yelling “Taser! Taser!” before shooting Wright. Potter is then heard saying “Holy s***, I shot him.”
Gannon said during the press conference that he believed Potter meant to grab her taser gun but mistakenly discharged her firearm.
WCCO obtained the resignation letter that Potter gave to city officials.
“I am tendering my resignation from the Brooklyn Center Police Department effective immediately. I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately.”
It is unclear if Gannon also submitted his resignation in writing.
Both resignations are effective immediately.