Attorneys deliver opening arguments in the trial of the police officer accused of killing Daunte Wright

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge and defense attorney Paul Engh deliver opening arguments in the trial of Kim Potter, a white former police officer charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop in April.

Video Transcript

ERIN ELDRIDGE: We trust them not to use those weapons rashly or recklessly and we expect not to be shot dead on the street for no reason. We expect them not to betray their badge and we expect them to uphold their oath. We trust them to know wrong from right and left from right.

This case is about an officer who knew not to get it dead wrong, but she failed to get it right. This case is about the defendant, Kimberly Potter, betraying her badge, and betraying her oath, and betraying her position of public trust. And on April 11 of this year, she betrayed a 20-year-old kid. She pulled out her firearm, she pointed it at his chest, and she shot and killed Daunte Wright.

PAUL ENGH: She said, I'll tase you. I'll tase you. The language was direct, it was clear, it was unmistakable. And all Mr. Wright had to do was stop. He was told he was arrested on a warrant. He resisted.

She said, I'll tase you. And all he had to do was surrender. But that wasn't his plan. He continued on with her struggle. And five seconds later, she says taser, taser, taser. And you're going to remember those three words for the rest of your life.