Jury selection set to begin in trial of officer charged in Daunte Wright death

Jury selection in the case of the former Minnesota police officer charged with the killing of Daunte Wright is set to begin on Tuesday.

Wright was fatally shot in April, sparking protests in Minnesota on the heels of demonstrations over the murder of George Floyd by police just one year earlier.

Kimberly Potter, who is on trial for the fatal shooting, is facing first- and second-degree manslaughter charges to which she has pleaded not guilty, according to Reuters.

Her lawyers have reportedly argued that Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun instead of a stun gun and that Wright’s conduct during the shooting was disregarded by the prosecution.

Wright, 20, was shot during a traffic stop. He was pulled over because he had expired license plate tabs and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Potter and two other officers on the scene reportedly attempted to detain Wright after finding that there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Potter, who was a 26-year veteran on the city of Brooklyn Center police force at the time, resigned shortly after the incident, Reuters reported.

The selection of the jury is set to take nearly a week and opening statements in the case are scheduled to begin on Dec. 8, the news outlet noted.

Should Potter be convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter she could face maximum sentences of 15 years and 10 years respectively, according to Reuters.