Kim Potter, ex-Minnesota officer, found guilty of manslaught

[Stugotz]

A Minneapolis jury on Thursday convicted former police officer Kim Potter on all charges she faced for fatally shooting Black motorist Daunte Wright earlier this year.

The Hennepin County panel found Potter guilty of first-degree manslaughter, meaning she improperly used “such force and violence that death of or great bodily harm to any person was reasonably foreseeable.”

Jurors also found the white former officer guilty of second-degree manslaughter charge, which only required a finding of “culpable negligence” that created “unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another.”

ONCE AGAIN THE COURTS/JURY COWED TO THE LIBERAL LEFT...

[yukonjasper]

The MOB wins again.

[crbutler]

Depends on jury instructions.

I’m no lawyer but when the judge stated that they needed to consider other jurors beliefs in their deliberations, I would think it made a hole you can drive a ship through to appeal.

On the face of it though- if you shoot someone, it is reasonable to expect great bodily harm. By announcing Taser she demonstrated she didn’t feel he needed deadly force at that point.

If you are a cop, is it professional negligence to not train to the point that you automatically grab what piece of kit you intend to or need?

I don’t have an issue with finding her guilty of something, but do dislike the laundry list charging of folks. From my uninvolved state, I’m not buying 1st degree AND second degree convictions for the same event. Sounds suspiciously like double jeopardy.

[Bearcatrp]

What a crock of crapola. There will be an appeal!

[smurfman]

It's been a long time since my Minnesota statutes class but as I recall two charges stem from different actions.

Man 2 is due to culpable negligence where it is believed the actions were without reasonable caution. I believe that not verifying she was utilizing her pistol rather than the Taser she intended is what brought this charge.

Man 1 was brought up as a charge as one of the charging subsets is someone dying in the commission of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. In this case, I believe the use of a Taser, the intended tool, would have been contrary to policy and/or training which would have meant she had committed an unauthorized use of force which would then open her up to criminal prosecution.

Though this was a single event, there were multiple facets of law involved. I am also conflicted as to these charges being the most applicable but I can't think of something more appropriate. Access to witness interviews would probably have shed additional light on the matter. Better or actual follow up questions during some of the testimony may have also helped.

[Stugotz]

Should have NEVER been tried as a criminal case, Civil court case, yes but not criminal...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZUW-BBPGM0

[Lumpy]

After it becomes impossible for professional police to operate, we'll get to practice libertarian self-protection. Maybe the first step in the discrediting/dismantlement of the state.

[Holland&Holland]

You reap what you sow. I think our society will learn that lesson the hard way.

[daleamn]

Under the heading of adding insult to injury Judge Regina Chu ruled Kim Potter had to remain in jail over Christmas but allowed another criminal with a lengthy rap sheet released to attend a family funeral. The criminal released for the funeral never returned to jail. Just disgusting. Here's a link to the story.
https://alphanews.org/criminal-released ... n-to-jail/
Here's some quotes from the story I thought illustrated the hypocrisy.

Potter’s attorneys argued that she [Potter] shouldn’t be incarcerated pending sentencing because “she’s not a danger to the public whatsoever.”

“It is the Christmas holiday season and she is a devoted Catholic, no less, and there is no point to incarcerate her at this point in time,” one of Potter’s attorneys said. “This is a rather unique case of someone who has law enforcement experience and was never in trouble in all her life.”

Chu disagreed, forcing Potter to spend Christmas in jail.

“I am going to require that she be taken into custody and held without bail,” said Chu. “I cannot treat this case differently than any other case.”

[Holland&Holland]

Not Surprised.