Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, at the request of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, will lead prosecution of the second-degree manslaughter charges against former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, accused in the death of Daunte Wright. Attorney General Ellison says, “I did not seek this prosecution and do not accept it lightly” and adds “no one… should expect this case will be easy to prosecute.” Ellison says if prosecutions are vigorous and swift, if legislators at every level pass long-overdue reforms, if police leadership demonstrates misconduct has no place, and if the community keeps up the cry for justice, “we will break the cycle of history and establish a new standard for justice.”
Governor Tim Walz says he’s glad Ellison is taking the case, and the governor says he’s heard the Wright family’s desire to have the strongest legal team possible.