Legal Team for Daunte Wright's Family Issues Statement as Jury Selection Begins for Trial of Former Officer Kim Potter

Civil rights attorneys Benjamin Crump, Antonio Romanucci and Jeff Storms, who represent the family of Daunte Wright, have released the following statement:

"As jury selection begins in the trial of former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter for the senseless and preventable death of Daunte Wright, we stress the utterly needless loss of his life. This encounter was a pretextual, unnecessary stop of a young Black man for nothing more than a minor traffic infraction. States and local governments across the country have acknowledged the need to stop this senseless overreach of police by proposing or putting into law that these low-level matters should not serve as the basis for a stop, arrest, or the engagement of an armed officer.  We must look past the shameless victim blaming that has been and will be directed towards Daunte. We must also not be fooled by the Defense’s cries of an “innocent mistake.”  No reasonable officer can confuse their Taser for a gun, particularly a training officer who drew both of those weapons from her duty belt countless times. Daunte Wright should not have been stopped or shot. He should be here with us, hugging his parents, siblings, and young son during this holiday season.”

About Ben Crump Law

Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit www.bencrump.com.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death arising from police misconduct, corporate negligence, civil rights actions, medical malpractice, mass torts and class actions. Founded in 1998, the firm is widely recognized for representing plaintiffs in numerous practice areas including: workers’ compensation, pharmaceuticals, civil rights, police misconduct, excessive force, aviation, product liability and premises liability. For more information, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.

About Newmark Storms Dworak LLC 

Newmark Storms Dworak LLC is one of Minnesota’s premier boutique law firms. The Minneapolis firm regularly handles high-profile civil rights, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse claims. For more information, visit www.newmarkstorms.com.