Kim Potter Case: Prosecutors No Longer Want Extra Prison Time

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota prosecutors are no longer seeking an upward departure sentence for former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter.

Potter, 49, was convicted in December of first and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright at a traffic stop. She will be sentenced Friday at 9 a.m.

The sentencing hearing will be live-streamed.

Initially, state prosecutors asked that Judge Regina Chu give Potter a longer-than-normal prison sentence. However, in a court filing Tuesday, the state said they changed their mind, and stated that the presumptive sentence — which is based on rigid state guidelines — is sufficient.

"The presumptive sentence reflects the culpability of the Defendant’s recklessness in causing Daunte Wright’s death," Matthew Frank, a prosecutor who works for Attorney General Keith Ellison, wrote.

"No prison sentence can bring Daunte Wright back to life. A prison sentence is just a number, and that number cannot undo this tragedy or bring Daunte Wright back to his family."

Potter's defense team is asking probation, which would be a downward-departure from state guidelines.

Potter will face a max of up to 15 years in prison in sentencing. However, because Potter has no criminal record, state guidelines suggest that she should receive 86 months in prison, which is just over seven years.

First-degree manslaughter has a "level nine" severity level under state guidelines, and Potter has a "zero" criminal history score:

Potter is the third Twin Cities metro police officer to be convicted of manslaughter or murder since 2019. Earlier in 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of second and third murder in the death of George Floyd.

Read more: Ex-Cop Kim Potter Found Guilty In Shooting Death Of Daunte Wright

In 2019, former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Justine Damond. However, his murder conviction was recently overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court.