REVEREND AL SHARPTON RESPONDS TO RELEASE OF KIM POTTER FROM PRISON IN MURDER OF DAUNTE WRIGHT AFTER SERVING JUST 16 MONTHS

—

Apr 24, 2023

New York, NY (April 24, 2023) – Reverend Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), released a statement today in response to the release of Kim Potter after serving just 16 months for the murder of 20-year-old Daunte Wright:

“I am appalled at the release of Kim Potter from prison after serving just 16 months for taking the life of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Her sentence, handed down by Judge Regina Chu, was well below Minnesota’s minimum of six years and significantly less than the maximum of eight years in which the Wright family, Attorney Ben Crump and myself had pushed for. Today’s release of Potter is an insult to all Americans who believe in justice. I delivered the eulogy for Daunte at his funeral, and I’ll repeat what I said then: Potter should face the full extent of the law.”

“Kim Potter swore an oath to protect and serve her community, a promise that she clearly failed to keep when she murdered Daunte Wright. Her swift release from prison signals to others in our criminal justice system that bad apples will be shown leniency and given special treatment when it comes to their actions while wearing a badge. Daunte Wright was a father, a son, and a brother whose life was stolen from him by Kim Potter. Black and brown men deserve to grow old; they deserve to live their lives and they deserve justice when their lives are taken from them. We will not sit idly by and allow nonconsequential actions such as this to endure.”

###

BACKGROUND

20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed on April 11, 2021 after Kim Potter, a Brooklyn Center police officer shot him with a handgun at a traffic stop.

About National Action Network

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression, or sexuality. For more information, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net