The police shooting that left a 20-year-old Black man dead after a traffic stop in Minnesota was 'accidental,' the police chief said

Kelly McLaughlin
Updated ·2 min read
People gather in protest, Sunday, April 11, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. The family of Daunte Wright, 20, told a crowd that he was shot by police Sunday before getting back into his car and driving away, then crashing the vehicle several blocks away. The family said Wright was later pronounced dead.
People gather in protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Sunday. The family of Daunte Wright, 20, told a crowd that he had been shot by the police before getting back into his car and driving away, then crashing several blocks away. AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa
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  • Brooklyn Center's police chief said the shooting of Daunte Wright was the result of an "accidental discharge."

  • He said the officer who shot Wright had meant to grab their Taser but grabbed their gun instead.

  • Daunte was fatally shot during a traffic stop on Sunday.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The fatal police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man in a Minneapolis suburb on Sunday was the result of an "accidental discharge," the city's police chief said.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said at a press conference on Monday that the officer who shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop had meant to grab their Taser but grabbed their gun instead and fatally shot Wright.

In body-camera footage of the shooting, a police officer can be heard saying: "Holy s---. I just shot him."

The officer, whom Gannon described as a "senior officer," has been put on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.

"Our hearts are aching right now, we are in pain right now, and we recognize that this couldn't have happened at a worse time," Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said. "We will get to the bottom of this. We will do all that is within our power to make sure that justice is done for Daunte Wright."

Elliott added that he supported firing the officer who killed Wright.

In a statement on Sunday, the police in Brooklyn Center said officers had pulled Wright over for a traffic violation and found that he had an outstanding warrant.

The police said that officers had tried to take Wright into custody but that when Wright tried to get back into his car an officer shot him.

Wright drove away and crashed his car several blocks away, the police said. He was later pronounced dead.

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters on Sunday that her son had called her and said the police were pulling him over for having an air freshener dangling from his rearview mirror.

Gannon said on Monday that officers had stopped Wright over expired tags and later noticed the air freshener.

Wright's death sparked protests in Minnesota. Officials deployed the National Guard and imposed a curfew.

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