Brooklyn Center police chief resigns in wake of Daunte Wright shooting

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon has resigned two days after an officer fatally shot Daunte Wright.

Mayor Mike Elliot announced during a press conference Tuesday that the city government had received notice of Gannon’s resignation.

Gannon had a tense press conference Monday, at one point walking away from the podium amid questions from the media. During the briefing he said he believed Potter, who was not identified at the time, had meant to use her stun gun on Wright but instead shot a bullet into him.

With Gannon’s resignation, two senior commanders will be tasked with leading the Brooklyn Center police department, with Commander Tony Gruenig as acting chief. Gruenig has been with the police force for 19 years. 

“It’s very chaotic right now,” Gruenig. “I was just informed less than a half hour ago or an hour ago about the whole change in status. There’s just a lot of chaos going on right now. We’re just trying to wrap our heads around the situation and trying to create some calm.”

The officer who shot Wright, Kim Potter, also resigned on Tuesday.

“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 to my fellow officers if I resign immediately,” Potter wrote in a letter to the city government.