The family of Daunte Wright will receive $3.25 million from Brooklyn Center, Minn. in the wrongful-death lawsuit they filed, according to ABC affiliate KSTP. Kim Potter, the officer who shot and killed Wright, was previously sentenced to two years in prison on two counts of manslaughter, per previous reports. Now, Wright’s family plans to use this situation to create change.
Attorneys Antonio Romanucci and Jeff Storms claimed this settlement was not only the third largest wrongful death payout in the state but also the largest in a city outside of Minneapolis, per KSTP. Last year, George Floyd’s family received a $27 million settlement. The Wright family’s legal counsel said the final terms of the settlement are pending an agreement on “non-monetary relief.”
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They’re seeking the establishment of a permanent Daunte Wright memorial and more extensive training for Brooklyn Center police officers on “officer intervention, implicit bias, weapons confusion, de-escalation, and mental health crises.”
The city has already agreed to enact policing changes regarding so-called pretextual traffic stops for non-moving equipment violations “that do not interfere with the safety of the driver, passenger or members of the community,” the legal team said.
Wright’s parents, Katie and Arbuey, released a statement in response to the settlement. They said it was important to them that his name be used for positive change in the community and not just for financial gain. They plan to fully fund and launch the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Resolution.
“We hope Black families, people of color, and all residents feel safer now in Brooklyn Center because of the changes the city must make to resolve our claims,” said Wright’s parents.
Lately, it seems there have been more settlements than police accountability. Minneapolis police in particular has been confronted by multiple families to address racial bias in their operations. Hopefully, the changes implemented at Brooklyn Center will have a ripple effect.