Former officer Kim Potter testifies in her own trial

By Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 3:39 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021
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3:14 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Closing arguments set to begin Monday

From CNN's Brad Parks

(Pool)
(Pool)

Testimony concluded on Friday after prosecutors declined to call any rebuttal witnesses in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter, who faces manslaughter charges for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright in April.

Jury instructions and closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning. Jurors will be fully sequestered during deliberation, according to the judge's Aug. 10 order.

During eight days of testimony in the trial, jurors heard from 33 witnesses.

Potter faces first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter charges for fatally shooting Wright after repeatedly yelling "Taser" during a traffic-stop-turned-arrest on April 11, 2021. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

3:05 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Defense rests in trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter

The defense rested on Friday in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who faces manslaughter charges for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright in April.

Potter faces first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter charges for fatally shooting Wright after repeatedly yelling "Taser" during a traffic-stop-turned-arrest on April 11. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During two days of testimony in the defense portion of the trial, attorneys called eight witnesses, including the defendant.

2:55 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Potter says she's never shot her gun during her career

Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, who testified in her own trial in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, said she had never shot her gun during her 26-year-long law enforcement career.

When asked by defense attorney Earl Gray if she ever shot her gun in real life or at anyone during her time as a police officer, Potter said "no" to both questions.

Gray also asked: "What would that mean if you had to shoot your weapon?" 
Potter responded: "That I might kill somebody." 

Potter also again said she never deployed her Taser during her career.

2:46 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Potter says she "was very distraught" after shooting Daunte Wright

(Pool)
(Pool)

An emotional Kim Potter was asked about her behavior after she shot and killed Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, earlier this year.

"I was very distraught, I just shot somebody. I've never done that," Potter said, crying. "I'm sorry it happened. I'm sorry."
2:33 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Jurors seen "watching intently" as Potter testified about fatal shooting

From CNN's Brad Parks

As defense attorney Earl Gray began his questioning of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter on Friday, jurors mostly watched Potter as she detailed her training and career history. Only some jurors were seen taking notes, according to a pool reporter in court. 

As Potter's testimony moved on to her recollection of the day of the fatal shooting in April, the jury "perked up," according to pool reports. Jurors were observed "watching intently" as Potter explained the sequence of events that occurred after pulling over Wright. 

Wright’s parents, Katie Bryant and Arbuey Wright, who were in court Friday morning were observed holding hands throughout much of Potter's testimony before the lunch break. 

As Potter cried describing how she yelled "Taser, Taser, Taser" and fired her gun, Wright's parents did not visibly react, according to the pool reporter. Several jurors were observed taking notes. 

As Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge later played the moments before the shooting from Potter's body camera in court, Wright's father watched the video on a screen on the back wall of the courtroom. As Eldridge advanced the video frame by frame, Wright's father was seen taking his wife's hand as she looked down and shook. After the moment Potter can be heard yelling "Taser" on the video, Wright's mother was seen crying and wiping her eyes with a tissue, according to pool reports.

Potter's husband, Jeff, did not appear to visibly react during the emotional moments of testimony Friday, according to pool reports.

2:00 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Kim Potter trial is in a break for lunch following emotional testimony

From CNN's Jason Kurtz

The Hennepin County Courthouse on Friday in Minneapolis.
The Hennepin County Courthouse on Friday in Minneapolis. (Christian Monterrosa/AP)

The trial of former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter is in a break for lunch after she began to cry during her testimony.

Potter, who faces first- and second-degree manslaughter charges in the killing of Daunte Wright, cried on the stand, prompting her attorney to call for a recess.

Potter was asked to review video footage of the April incident, in which she said she mistakenly pulled her firearm instead of her Taser.

The 49-year-old Potter could be heard saying "I shot him" on video immediately following the shooting.

The prosecution alleges that Potter should have easily noticed the distinction between her gun and her Taser. In her defense, Potter — a 26-year law enforcement veteran — said that the Taser she was carrying was a new model and had only been issued to her 17 days prior.

1:38 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Potter asked about differences between her Taser and firearm

Prosecutor Erin Eldridge asked former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer Kim Potter about her Taser training during cross-examination.

Potter is on the stand in her own trial in the fatal April shooting of Daunte Wright. Potter has said she mistook her firearm for a Taser.

Potter said she has been trained on Tasers since 2002.

Eldridge showed photos of Potter's yellow-and-black Taser and black firearm side by side.

Eldridge then asked about the differences in drawing a gun versus a Taser from a police belt.

Eldridge: "How does that gun come out of that holster?" 
Potter: "It would rock forward."  
Eldridge: "How do you pull with your hand out of your holster?" 
Potter: "It would rock forward and you would pull it out." 
Eldridge: "And the Taser, on the other hand, you would press the button, rock it backward and pull it out, correct?" 
Potter: "Yes." 

Potter confirmed that she has drawn her Taser for "de-escalation" but never deployed it in her 26-year career.

1:18 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Potter tells jurors she never deployed her Taser during her 26-year career

From CNN's Anna-Maja Rappard

(Pool)
(Pool)

Defense attorney Earl Gray asked former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer Kim Potter about her interactions with police throughout her life and her 26-year career as a police officer.

Potter took the stand to testify in her own defense on Friday in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright.

Potter said she never received any complaints from the public and she had never deployed her Taser during her time on the police force. 

“I would take my Taser out on rare occasions, but I don't believe I ever deployed it,” Potter said.

She also said she never physically received weapons confusion training.

1:00 p.m. ET, December 17, 2021

Potter explains why she quit her job 2 days after Wright shooting

Testifying at her own trial, former police officer Kim Potter explained why she resigned from her job with the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police force in the days following the death of Daunte Wright.

"There was so much bad things happening, I didn't want my co-workers — and I didn't want anything bad to happen to the city," she said while growing emotional.

Potter had been with the Brooklyn Center Police Department for 26 years until her resignation two days after the killing, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Potter, 49, faces first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter charges. In body camera footage of the April shooting, Potter can be heard yelling “Taser” repeatedly before she shot Wright.