15 erring recruitment offices penalized in 3 months    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    Mass food poisonings cast shadow over Indonesia's free school meals    Police fatally shoot man at Toronto's international airport    Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft    Saudi non-oil exports surge 14.3 percent to SR26.11bn in February    Ministry of Justice launches centralized court model to enhance judicial efficiency    Saudi Arabia elected chair of Asia region of World Meteorological Organization    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Super Max Verstappen scorches to pole with record lap in Jeddah    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US ex-officer guilty of manslaughter in 'Taser mix-up' shooting
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 24 - 12 - 2021

A veteran former Minnesota police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter for the fatal shooting of a black motorist in April, BBC reported.
Kim Potter, 49, claimed she had mistakenly drawn her gun instead of a Taser and killed Daunte Wright, 20, during a traffic stop.
His death occurred at a time of high tensions, with the trial over George Floyd's murder taking place nearby.
Potter's sentencing has been scheduled for 18 February.
Over four days, the 12 jurors deliberated for approximately 27 hours before convicting her on both charges she faced.
The first charge against Potter - first-degree manslaughter - is applied to cases in which the defendant causes someone's death while attempting to commit a lesser crime.
In Potter's case, prosecutors accused her of killing Wright as a result of her "reckless" handling of a firearm.
The second charge - second-degree manslaughter - is used in cases where a death is caused by negligence and the taking of unreasonable risk.
The first charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine of up to $30,000 (£22,000). The second charge is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment and a $20,000 fine.
As the verdict was read, Potter kept her head down, looking at the jury only briefly, as her two lawyers placed their hands on her shoulders.
Judge Regina Chu then ordered she be taken into custody and held without bail until the sentencing.
One of her relatives could be heard shouting "love you Kim" as she was handcuffed, to which she replied "love you", according to court reporters.
Outside the courthouse, a crowd of demonstrators cheered, with some chanting Mr Wright's name and "the people can never be defeated".
Speaking to reporters, Wright's mother Katie said she had felt "every single emotion you can imagine" as the verdict was read, adding that it had been a "long fight for accountability".
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the guilty verdict "shows the whole world" that those who enforce the law "are also willing to live by it".
"My thoughts are also with Ms Potter today," Mr Ellison added, noting she was "remorseful" and wishing "the best for her and her family".
"But the truth is she will be able to correspond with them no matter what happens. The Wrights won't be able to talk to Daunte."
On 11 April, Brooklyn Center police pulled Wright over to arrest him for an outstanding warrant on a weapons violation.
Potter's defence team claimed the shooting took place as Wright was resisting arrest.
Police bodycam footage played during the trial showed Potter repeatedly yelling "Taser" before firing a single shot from her pistol.
Potter is later seen sitting on the pavement crying. At one point she can be heard saying that she "grabbed the wrong gun" and that she believed she would be going to prison.
The incident took place as the high-profile trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin was under way in Minneapolis, just 10 miles away.
In his closing argument on Monday, defence attorney Earl Gray argued Mr Wright's actions had ultimately led to his death, adding it would be difficult to find Potter had consciously sought to take his life.
"How can you recklessly - consciously - handle a gun if you don't know you have it?" Mr Gray asked. "A mistake is not a crime."
Prosecutors said that Potter, a veteran officer of 26 years, should have known the difference between her gun and a Taser.
Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Erin Eldridge argued that the case was about "recklessness and negligence".
"There's no 'mistake' defence," another prosecutor, Matt Frank, said during closing arguments.
Ayesha Bell Hardaway, an associate law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio and the co-director of the Social Justice Institute, told the BBC it remained "very rare" for police officers to be held legally responsible for deaths that happened in the line of duty.
Potter's conviction, she said, could potentially send a powerful message to police forces across the country.
"It would be almost axiomatic that an officer should be held to the same standard as the rest of us for reckless behaviour, because the consequences are so severe," she said. "But there's still no turning back for the Wright family."


Clic here to read the story from its source.