Just days after a Minneapolis police officer was convicted for the murder of George Floyd, the city is gearing up for another emotional day as family, friends and community members gather for the funeral of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was killed during a traffic stop by police.
Wright’s casket arrived Thursday afternoon at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries In Minneapolis, Minnesota, where civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to deliver his eulogy. Body-camera footage released by Brooklyn Center police of an officer shooting Wright awakened renewed protest against police brutality in the area amid the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd.
Floyd’s family is expected to be in attendance for Wright’s funeral, along with their attorney Ben Crump, who is also representing Wright’s family.
Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter and the department’s police chief resigned in the wake of Wright’s death. Former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon alleged after the shooting that Potter mistakenly grabbed her firearm instead of her department-issued Taser, a claim that drew skepticism from protesters and the Wright family.
“After 26 years, you would think that you know what side your gun is on and what side your Taser is on,” Crump said. “You know the weight of your gun, and you know the weight of the Taser.”
Potter, a 26-year veteran officer, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and has not yet entered a plea.
Dallas Bryant, Wright’s older brother, said the family had been hoping for a more serious charge.
“I’m not too happy about it, but I’ll take every win I can get at the moment,” said Bryant, 23. “My family wants peace. Me and our family are going to try and do it the right way.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asked residents to join him in a two-minute moment of silence to honor Wright at 12 p.m. CST, the same time Wright’s funeral is expected to begin.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
