by Liz Collin
After serving 16 months behind bars, online records show Kim Potter is scheduled to be released from prison on Monday. However, the Department of Corrections says the time “has yet to be established.”
The former Brooklyn Center police officer was convicted in December 2021 of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright. Potter accidentally grabbed her gun instead of her Taser on a traffic stop where Wright tried to flee.
Potter served two-thirds of her sentence inside the women’s prison in Shakopee. She will remain on parole until the end of December to serve the remainder of her two-year sentence.
Online posts show many threats have been made against Potter and her family by supporters of Wright.
Alpha News asked the Department of Corrections about the threats. A spokesperson said the agency “plans to release Potter using standard release procedures.”
The statement went on to say:
“The time of her release has yet to be established. Our criminal investigative analysts are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation to ensure Kimberly Potter, like all incarcerated persons, is safe as she leaves our facility. We will quickly adjust and alter our release procedures if we obtain information that indicates there is a credible threat to Kimberly Potter’s safety or the safety of others.”
Thousands of people pushed for months through phone calls and emails to have Potter’s sentence commuted to no avail.
Potter’s best friend, Becky Boie, told Alpha News this fall that they got one call back from Gov. Tim Walz’s office for their efforts and a generic email denying Potter’s supporters a request for a meeting.
“She does not belong in prison. She never has,” Boie said during that interview.
“It makes my blood boil. I cannot remember what the number is exactly, but it was hundreds — actual criminals who have been released due to COVID, due to overcrowding, I mean for a number of reasons. And it’s this administration that is releasing them,” Boie went on to point out.
As part of a civil lawsuit, Brooklyn Center was ordered to pay $3.25 million in June 2022 to members of Wright’s family and implement policy changes.
The department is down more than 30% of its officers from April 2021.
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Liz Collin has been a truth-teller for 20 years as a multi-Emmy-Award-winning reporter and anchor. Liz is a Worthington, Minnesota native who lives in the suburbs with her husband, son and loyal lab.
Photo “Kim Potter” by Minnesota Department of Corrections.
