Daunte Wright’s father Arbuey Wright, left, and mother Katie Wright, center, at his funeral April 22.Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty
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She recalled the premature birth of Daunte’s son, Daunte Wright Jr. “He was so happy and so proud,” she said. “And he always said he couldn’t wait to make his son proud. Junior was the joy of his life. And he lived for him every single day.”
“And now,” she said, before burying her face in her hands, “he’s not going to be able to see him.”
Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the suburban Brooklyn Center police force whoresigned in the wake of Wright’s shooting, has been charged with manslaughter in his death. The city’s police chief, who also resigned, said Potter believed she was reaching for her Taser when she grabbed her gun and fired at Wright as it appeared the unarmed man was trying to flee a traffic stop.
Potter has not yet entered a plea.
George Floyd family members at the funeral of Daunte Wright April 22 in Minneapolis.Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Chauvin – who was fired after Floyd died – wasconvicted Tuesday of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Two weeks of testimony in his trial were complete, with another week to go, when Wright was shot on April 11.
Funeral of Daunte Wright In Minneapolis April 22.Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Like Floyd’s death last May, which birthed demonstrations across the country against police brutality and racial injustice, Wright’s shooting sent demonstrators into the streets locally for several nights, resulting in clashes with police and multiple arrests.
Funeral of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis April 22.Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty
Wright’s family members adopted a more personal tone. His mother stayed awake until 3:30 a.m. before the funeral, “so nervous and scared about what I was going to stand up here and say about my son,” she said. “I never imagined that I’d be standing here. The roles should completely be reversed. My son should be burying me.”
Daunte Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton at the funeral for her son April 22 in Minneapolis.Stephen Maturen/Getty
A brother, Dallas, recalled that Daunte “was literally the life of the party. When he came in, you know, the smile, his laugh – his laugh was really contagious.”
“He was literally my best friend through thick and thin, through all the late-night conversations about him trying to better himself as a man and the man he wanted to be for Junior,” he said. “We talked for hours on it, and he was doing that. And I was just so proud of the man that he was becoming, and he was gonna make an amazing father.”
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source: people.com
