A young black man named Daunte Wright was killed by the police April 11. Wright was only 20 years old. He leaves behind his girlfriend and 2-year-old son. Wright was pulled over by police officer Kim Potter for an expired license plate. He ended up calling his mother for insurance information when one of the officers asked him to step out of the car. The situation escalated from there, and ended with Potter shooting Wright with her gun. Wright ended up driving a little bit further before crashing the car and dying.

I was really upset when I first heard about this story, I read about how a 2-year-old was never going to get to see his dad again because of an expired license plate. He was only 20 and had his whole life ahead of him, but it was cut short. He will never get to see his family again. 

His death hit me a lot harder because it was during the Derek Chauvin trial. Almost a year ago, Derek Chauvin murdered a black man named George Floyd. For most of 2020, there were protests about racial injustices, demanding that Chauvin be imprisoned. It’s awful that during this trial and after all the protests this summer, Black people are still being killed by police officers. We need some real change in the justice system. 

Regarding the Wright case, I heard speculations that it was a mistake, but I personally doubt it was. There is a video going around the internet of Officer Kim Potter screaming “taser, taser, taser” when she pulled her gun and shot Wright. She said it was an accident and didn’t mean to shoot him. How can you mistake a gun for a taser? Another reason why I doubt this claim is because of Potter’s extensive experience as an officer. Potter was a 26-year veteran when she shot him; she was a police officer longer than Wright was alive. How can you not have  memorized where your weapons are on your belt after being an officer for over two decades?    

While we continue on with this case, we need to remember to say Daunte Wright’s name, not the person who killed him. He left behind his girlfriend and son who needs justice for the person they lost. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Wright’s family, and all the donations will go to Wright’s family and funeral expenses. Hopefully, one day we can trust the police to protect us and not be afraid of them.