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The officer who shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, as well as the police chief of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota resigned from their positions.
Mayor Mike Elliott confirmed he received the resignations Tuesday after the City Council voted to recommend Officer Kim Potter and Chief Tim Gannon be fired. This news comes as protests continue over the killing.
The horrifying news of Wright's death was compounded by the official explanation Gannon gave reporters, saying Potter mistook her gun for her Taser.
Despite the video showing Potter yelling "Taser! Taser" before grabbing her gun, the internet reacted with disbelief this could be the case.
It’s not an accident. It’s happened too many times. We’re not playing these games anymore. https://t.co/dRihJnryh5— SCAM GODDESS (@SCAM GODDESS) 1618367446.0
“Just like anybody else.” Can you fathom the denial and delusion it takes to not see the crushing irony of that sta… https://t.co/tHem8GK6il— Colin 🏳️⚧️ (@Colin 🏳️⚧️) 1618327618.0
@jjzac43 @B52Malmet Heat of the moment??? There was no reason to get heated! He had not killed someone you know li… https://t.co/OWHRTskdiQ— Starry ⭐ Nights (@Starry ⭐ Nights) 1618344191.0
@therecount It's amazing that this very serious question was dismissed in less than a second. "I don't have an answ… https://t.co/n6hUq5RZ0n— ѵմӀçą հօʝąҟ (@ѵմӀçą հօʝąҟ) 1618268384.0
Gannon was also criticized for sidestepping questions. After the incident Potter was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
At the press conference, Gannon was asked if he believed Potter would be fired, and he responded:
"I think we can watch the video and ascertain whether she will be returning."
Despite this, it was still surprising to some they both resigned so quickly.
#BREAKING: Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott says both Police Chief Tim Gannon and Police Officer Kim Potter have resigned.— Ana Cabrera (@Ana Cabrera) 1618335607.0
Tuesday night, Elliott was asked why the two were allowed to resign instead of being terminated and the mayor said:
"We were going through our own processes to make sure that internally we had all of the documentation in order."
Elliott also brought up he doesn't believe any of the 49 officers for Brooklyn Center live in the suburb and there's few officers who are people of color. He also expressed his hope things can improve with a shift to a community-based approach to policing.
Meanwhile, the community continues to protest against actions taken by the police, with calls to defund the system still coming from many.
People were particularly upset the resignation would be used as a smokescreen to prevent any further consequences Potter may have faced after the investigation.
The officer who killed #DaunteWright has resigned. This is exceedingly common when officers expect to be fired. It… https://t.co/pTZgEXpfGw— Phillip Atiba Goff (@Phillip Atiba Goff) 1618335015.0
Forget #KimPotter's resignation. She needs to be in jail. Confusing a gun for a taser? She sounds like she's relate… https://t.co/yDctyrDDZY— Becky (@Becky) 1618367049.0
rats fleeing a sinking ship and all that. Except, they’re falling on their swords (so to speak) to save the departm… https://t.co/U4efEV4oHg— calileo (@calileo) 1618337647.0
Breaking: The officer who killed Daunte Wright, Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter has resigned...because if… https://t.co/54z2b5yyTM— Sgt Joker (@Sgt Joker) 1618335479.0
When Naisha Wright, the aunt of Daunte Wright, was told Potter had resigned, she said:
"Put her in jail, like they would do any one of us."
‘Great … put her in jail like they would do any one of us’ — Naisha Wright, in response to hearing that the officer… https://t.co/tmxj3695hx— NowThis (@NowThis) 1618337943.0
The shooting sparked protests in the Minneapolis area, where Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd, is currently on trial for murder.
The protests continued into Tuesday night, even after news of the resignations.