Watch a live broadcast from the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis where the opening statements in the trial of former Brooklyn Centre police officer Kimberly Potter for the killing of Daunte Wright, an unarmed black man, begin on Wednesday, 8 December.
On 14 April, 2021, Wright was fatally shot by Potter as he attempted to drive away from a traffic stop during an arrest. Police said Potter had accidentally grabbed her gun instead of a taser.
Potter now faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and up to ten years if found guilty of second-degree manslaughter. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The shooting of Wright sparked further tensions between police and activists protesting against police brutality as it took place in the middle of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, in a courthouse just miles away from where the Wright shooting happened.
Last week, 14 jurors, including two alternates, were seated after four days of jury selection. Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu expects Potter's trial to end by 24 December.
Sputnik also brings a live broadcast from outside the court as the opening statements are expected.