MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� , the former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she fatally shot , was sentenced Friday to two years in prison. Wright鈥檚 family denounced the sentence as too lenient and accused the judge of giving more consideration to the white officer than the Black victim.
in the April 11 killing of Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist. She was sentenced only on the more serious charge in accordance with state law.
Wright鈥檚 mother, Katie Wright, said after the sentencing that Potter 鈥渕urdered my son,鈥� adding: 鈥淭oday the justice system murdered him all over again.鈥� She also accused the judge of being taken in by 鈥渨hite woman tears鈥� after Potter cried during her pre-sentencing statement.
Speaking before the sentence was imposed, a tearful Wright said and that she would refer to her only as 鈥渢he defendant鈥� because Potter only referred to her son as 鈥渢he driver鈥� at trial.
鈥淪he never once said his name. And for that I鈥檒l never be able to forgive you. And I鈥檒l never be able to forgive you for what you鈥檝e stolen from us,鈥� said Wright, who also sometimes uses the last name Bryant.
鈥淒aunte Demetrius Wright, I will continue to fight in your name until driving while Black is no longer a death sentence,鈥� she said.
Potter offered an apology to Wright's family, then spoke directly to his mother: 鈥淜atie, I understand a mother鈥檚 love. I鈥檓 sorry I broke your heart ... my heart is broken and devastated for all of you.鈥�
The judge, who imposed a sentence below state guidelines, called it 鈥渙ne of the saddest cases I鈥檝e had on my 20 years on the bench.鈥� said she received 鈥渉undreds and hundreds鈥� of letters in support of Potter. 鈥淥n the one hand, a young man was killed and on the other, a respected 26-year veteran police officer made a tragic error by pulling her handgun instead of her Taser.鈥�
Chu said the lesser sentence was warranted because Potter was 鈥渋n the line of duty and doing her job in attempting to lawfully arrest Daunte Wright,鈥� and Potter was trying to protect another officer who could have been dragged and seriously injured if Wright drove away.
The judge said Potter will serve the standard two-thirds of her sentence, or 16 months in prison, with the rest on parole. She has earned credit for 58 days that she has been in the state鈥檚 women鈥檚 prison in Shakopee since the guilty verdict.
Wright was killed after Brooklyn Center officers pulled him over for having expired license tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. that laws against hanging objects from rearview mirrors have been used as a pretext for stopping Black motorists.
The shooting, which happened as in George Floyd鈥檚 killing, sparked several days of demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center police station marked by tear gas and clashes between protesters and police.
Potter and Chauvin were convicted in the same courtroom.
Wright family attorney Ben Crump said the family was stunned by the sentence, saying they didn't understand why such consideration was given to a white officer in the killing of a young Black man when a Black officer, Mohamed Noor, got a longer sentence for the 2017 killing of a white woman, Justine Ruszczyk Damond.
鈥淲hat we see today is the legal system in Black and white.鈥�
But the judge said the case was not the same as other high-profile killings by police.
鈥淭his is not a cop found guilty of murder for . This is not a cop found guilty of manslaughter for intentionally drawing his firearm and who approached his squad," said Chu, referring to Chauvin and Noor. 鈥淭his is a cop who made a tragic mistake."
For someone with no criminal history, such as Potter, the state guidelines on first-degree manslaughter range from slightly more than six years to about 8 1/2 years in prison, with the presumptive sentence being just over seven years.
Prosecutors initially argued that aggravating factors warranted a sentence above the guideline range, saying Potter abused her authority as an officer and that her actions caused a greater-than-normal danger to others. But on Friday, Prosecutor Matt Frank said the was proper.
鈥淗is life mattered, and that life was taken,鈥� Frank said before sentencing. 鈥淗is name is Daunte Wright. We have to say his name. He was not just a driver. He was a living human being. A life.鈥�
Defense attorney Paul Engh asked for a sentence below the guidelines, including probation only, arguing that Wright was the aggressor. He said the testimony of other officers on the scene showed it was a dangerous situation because Wright was attempting to drive away and Potter had the right to defend other officers.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, said he accepts the sentence and urged others to do the same.
People should remember Daunte Wright and 鈥渒now that no number of years in prison could ever capture the wonder of this young man鈥檚 life,鈥� Ellison said in a statement.
But, he said, the sentence doesn鈥檛 take away from 鈥渢he truth of the jury鈥檚 verdict.鈥�
Engh told the judge that Wright's death was "beyond tragic for everybody involved." But, he added: 鈥淭his was an unintentional crime. It was an accident. It was a mistake.鈥�
Engh said if Potter were to receive probation, she would be willing to meet with Wright鈥檚 family and to speak to police officers about Taser mix-ups, as suggested by prosecutors.
Engh also held up a box displaying what he said were among 鈥渢housands鈥� of letters and cards of support for Potter.
鈥淧eople took the time to write her," Engh said. "This is unheard of for a defendant. I dare say no one in this room has ever seen anything like this.鈥�
Evidence at Potter鈥檚 trial showed officers learned he had an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge and they tried to arrest him when he pulled away. Video showed Potter shouted several times that she was going to use her Taser on Wright, but she had her gun in her hand and fired one shot into his chest.
Wright鈥檚 father and siblings also addressed the court to speak of their loss.
The mother of Wright's son, Chyna Whitaker, said Friday that Wright would never have a chance to play ball with his son, or see him go to school.
鈥淢y son shouldn鈥檛 have to wear a 鈥榬est in peace鈥� shirt of his dad,鈥� Whitaker said.
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The story been corrected to show Potter faced sentencing for first-degree manslaughter, not first-degree murder. It has also corrected a quote to 鈥渨hite woman tears鈥� instead of 鈥渨hite woman's tears."
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Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press writer Mohamed Ibrahim contributed from Minneapolis.
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Find the AP鈥檚 full coverage of the Daunte Wright case:
Amy Forliti, Steve Karnowski And Tammy Webber, The Associated Press