Created: April 16, 2021 06:04 PM
If the former Brooklyn Center police officer did, in fact, intend to pull out her taser instead of her handgun when she shot and killed Daunte Wright Sunday, it would amount to a tragic accident.
But calling it a mistake or accident does not magically release an officer or their department from liability, according to a federal judge in Minnesota who ruled on a similar shooting a decade ago.
“The law s not going to say, ‘Oh, it was simply a mistake, no liability whatsoever,’” said David Schultz, a law professor at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Calling police shootings accidental doesn't equal an escape from liability, court records show kstp.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kstp.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
An investigation by our sister-station, KARE 11, reminds us of another high-profile case. Author: A.J. Lagoe, Steve Eckert Published: 11:34 PM EDT April 12, 2021 Updated: 8:21 AM EDT April 13, 2021
ROCHESTER, Minn. A KARE 11 investigation finds that Sunday’s fatal shooting of Daunte Wright is not the first time a Minnesota police officer has claimed to have mistakenly fired their gun instead of a Taser.
During a new conference Monday, Brooklyn Center police released bodycam footage which showed a veteran officer announcing “Taser, Taser” before firing a gunshot that killed Wright.
Police Chief Tim Gannon told reporters he believes the shooting was accidental.
Nearly two decades ago, another Black man was shot – once again at point blank range – by a Rochester officer who claimed he made a huge mistake.