Brooklyn Center, MN, police officer Kim Potter resigned Tuesday, two days after she fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. The city also received a resignation letter from Police Chief Tim Gannon, Mayor Mike Elliott announced Tuesday.
Elliott said he hopes Potter stepping down will bring some calm to the community, though he says people ultimately want justice. Elliott is now in charge of the police department. He also fired City Manager Curt Boganey, and replaced him with the city’s deputy manager, Reggie Edwards, the Washington Post reports. Boganey said Officer Potter was owed due process right before he was fired.
Potter wrote in a two-sentence letter on Tuesday to Elliott, the acting city manager and Gannon: “I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately,” she wrote.
Potter, a Brooklyn Center officer for 26 years, was put on administrative leave after she shot Wright on Sunday afternoon. Pressure has been growing for officials to terminate Potter, the Pioneer Press reports.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, who is reviewing the case, said he expects to make a charging decision by Tuesday afternoon. He said the decision won’t be made public until he is able to discuss it with the Wright family.
