Former policeman who shot and killed a 20-year-old black teenager in Minnesota, USA, was found guilty of accidental murder.
49-year-old Kim Potter, who resigned after the incident, argued that while trying to use his electroshock gun, he accidentally pulled his gun and fired.
After the incident on April 11, 2021, protests were held in the state.
The penalty for the ex-cop found guilty will be determined on February 18.
Potter was convicted on two separate charges.
Prosecutors argued that the resigning policeman killed Daunte Wright because he used his gun “carelessly”.
The first of the charges that the 49-year-old woman is convicted of is up to 15 years and the second up to 10 years in prison.
Hearing the verdict silently, Potter will remain in jail without the option of bail until the verdict is announced.
A group gathered outside the courtroom greeted the decision with applause.
Speaking to reporters, Daunte Wright’s mother, Katie, said she “experienced every emotion” and noted that it was a long journey to accountability.
In a statement after the hearing, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also argued that the decision showed the whole world that the security forces were not above the law.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a black man named George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin, and this incident sparked protests across the country.
https://twitter.com/bbcturkce/status/1381910035878580225?s=20
Kim Potter reportedly could spend years in prison
Even before Wright was killed, Minneapolis was tense over the trial of the sacked Chauvin.
Potter’s defense team claimed that the shooting happened because Daunte Wright resisted detention.
In the body camera footage watched in the courtroom, it was understood that after Potter shouted “taser” (electroshock), he pulled out his gun and was surprised to find out that it was not an electroshock gun.
Prosecutors argued that Potter, a 26-year-old police officer, should know the difference between an electroshock gun and a real gun.