The jury will determine whether Potter is guilty of first or second-degree manslaughter for shooting and killing Wright after purportedly mistaking her handgun for her TASER device while attempting to arrest Wright on a warrant during a traffic stop.
The legal teams also delivered their closing arguments on Monday, during which the prosecution emphasized Potter’s guilt regardless if the shooting was an accident and she meant to use her TASER, and the defense focused on the perceived danger to Potter and fellow officers during the incident.
Potter and a trainee officer pulled Wright over on April 11, 2021 for expired registration tags and a rearview mirror violation. After making initial contact, the officers learned that Wright had an arrest warrant for a weapons violation and protective order against him, and subsequently went to arrest Wright with the assistance of their supervisor who arrived at the scene.
Potter shot and killed Wright after he resisted arrest and attempted to re-enter his vehicle. Potter, who can be heard on video of the incident yelling “TASER, TASER, TASER!” before firing the first shot, maintains that use of the handgun was an accident. The defense argued that Potter had legal authority to use lethal or non-lethal force given the fatal risk of fellow officers being dragged by Wright’s vehicle.
First-degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, and second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The former requires Potter to have caused Wright’s death while committing a misdemeanor such as reckless handling of a firearm, whereas the latter requires only that Potter acted with culpable negligence during the incident.
Jury deliberations are expected to finish by Christmas Eve, but contingency plans have been made to resume deliberations after the holidays should it be necessary.