The family of Daunte Wright has reached a $3.25 million settlement agreement with the City of Brooklyn Center in Minnesota, where Wright died at the hands of a police officer during a traffic stop in April 2021.
The City agreed to pay the sum to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Wright’s family last year. Brooklyn Center is also working towards an agreement with the family on changes to police department policies and officer training, reported Fox News.
Wright, a 20-year-old father of one, was shot and killed by then-Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who has since been relieved of her duties.
Potter had pulled over the man because he had expired license plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. She then attempted to arrest him because he had an outstanding warrant for illegally carrying a weapon. When Wright tried to flee, Potter shot and killed him.
The veteran officer of 26 years claimed she mistook her gun for her Taser. The incident was captured on her bodycam. She can be heard yelling, “Taser! Taser! Taser!” before opening fire.
Attorneys for Wright’s family announced on Tuesday that a monetary settlement in the wrongful death suit had been reached with the City. It will be finalized once both parties agree on “significant and meaningful non-monetary relief,” specifically changes to policing practices and training, Fox News reports.
According to the attorneys, such changes are expected to include how police officers are trained regarding traffic stops, weapon confusion, de-escalation, implicit bias, and mental health crises.
The agreement also includes funding to establish a permanent memorial to Wright in the city.
Wright’s parents hope that changes in local policing will make important improvements to the community and leave a positive legacy in their son’s name, according to the family’s lawyer, Antonio Romanucci.
“Nothing can explain or fill the emptiness in our lives without Daunte, or our continued grief at the senseless way he died,” said Wright’s parents in a statement reported by Fox 9. “But in his name, we will move forward, and it was important to us that his loss be used for positive change in the community, not just for a financial settlement for our family.”
The $3.25 million settlement is reportedly Minnesota’s third-largest civil rights wrongful death settlement and the largest in the state outside of Minneapolis, according to the Washington Post.
Potter was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter in December 2021. She was sentenced to two years in prison in February, eliciting outrage from Wright’s family, who had urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence.