Here are the charges that Kimberly Potter faces.

Mr. Wright had called his parent erstwhile helium was pulled over, and she testified past week that helium sounded tense connected the phone. The constabulary had stopped his car due to the fact that helium had an aerial freshener hanging from the rearview reflector and an expired registration, some of which are violations.

Body camera videos of the shooting showed that Ms. Potter, 49, had shouted that she was going to stun Mr. Wright with her Taser and yelled “Taser! Taser! Taser” instantly earlier firing a azygous slug into his thorax from the work weapon she besides carried. In the videos, a distraught Ms. Potter tells her chap officers that she “grabbed the incorrect gun,” utilizing an expletive, and past collapses to the ground, sobbing. Within days of the shooting, she resigned from the force.

Prosecutors bash not quality that the shooting was a mistake, but they contend that Ms. Potter acted truthful recklessly and dangerously that she should beryllium imprisoned, and they person charged her with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter, either of which would astir apt mean respective years successful situation if she were convicted.

Potter is besides asked by her lawyer to explicate the comments she made conscionable aft the shooting that she feared going to situation – which could suggest to the assemblage she was some much acrophobic astir the consequences to herself than the wellbeing of Wright, and that she believed the use-of-force was perchance unlawful. She says she did not retrieve making the comments.

Potter says learning that Wright had a warrant connected a weapon complaint heightened her concerns that a weapon whitethorn person been successful the car. This is simply a mode for the defence to found that the concern was perchance dangerous, and that the consequent usage of force, successful their view, was justified.

In April, The New York Times reported that of 15 cases of alleged limb disorder successful the past 2 decades, a 3rd of the officers were indicted and 3 — including the lone 2 cases successful which radical were killed — were recovered guilty.

In Kimberly Potter’s trial, 1 of the prosecution’s adept witnesses testified that helium was alert of less than 20 instances of “weapons confusion” involving a Taser and weapon since 2001.

The witness, Seth Stoughton, a instrumentality prof astatine the University of South Carolina who studies the usage of unit by constabulary officers, said galore constabulary forces present bid officers connected however to debar weapons confusion, which helium called a “very good known” risk.

In Ms. Potter’s case, prosecutors bash not quality that she mistakenly drew her Taser, but they are making a lawsuit to jurors that she acted truthful recklessly — fixed her acquisition and grooming — that she should beryllium recovered blameworthy of manslaughter.

Mr. Stoughton said for that crushed galore agencies counsel officers to support their Taser connected the non-dominant broadside of their constabulary belt, arsenic Ms. Potter’s was, and that the companies that marque stun guns had tried to marque them look much chiseled from guns. Many Tasers are astatine slightest partially yellow, arsenic Ms. Potter’s was.

Potter’s lawyer is walking her done her upbringing, acquisition and aboriginal career, successful an effort to humanize her earlier the jurors.

“All helium had to bash was surrender,” Mr. Engh said of Mr. Wright, 20, who had been trying to fly from officers arsenic they attempted to apprehension him connected an outstanding warrant. “But that wasn’t his plan. He continued connected with his struggle,” Mr. Engh said.

Ms. Potter, 49, was a constabulary serviceman with the Brooklyn Center Police Department for 26 years until she resigned days aft shooting Mr. Wright.

She fatally changeable Mr. Wright aft appearing to accidentally gully her handgun alternatively of her Taser. Prosecutors person not asserted that the shooting was intentional, but person said that Ms. Potter was reckless, charging her with first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter. A condemnation connected either number would apt bring years successful prison.

In questioning witnesses, prosecutors person suggested that Ms. Potter was not justified successful firing a Taser — fto unsocial her work limb — due to the fact that Mr. Wright was successful the driver’s spot of a moving car. Brooklyn Center Police Department argumentation advises against utilizing a Taser connected idiosyncratic who is operating a car. Ms. Potter’s lawyers person argued that Mr. Wright was not operating the car erstwhile the shooting took spot during a postulation stop.

In video of the shooting, a distraught Ms. Potter swears aft pulling the trigger connected her handgun and tells her chap officers that she grabbed the incorrect weapon. Moments later, the video shows, she collapses to the ground, wherever she sobs and says she is going to spell to prison.

“She realizes what has happened, overmuch to her everlasting and unending regret,” Mr. Engh said. “She made a mistake. This was an accident. She’s a quality being.”

He besides disagreed with a proposition by prosecutors that Ms. Potter had not been justified successful trying to usage her Taser — adjacent if she had been utilizing the close weapon. Mr. Engh argued that she had been trying to stun Mr. Wright due to the fact that she feared that helium was going to thrust distant arsenic different officer, Sgt. Mychal Johnson, was leaning into the passenger-side model of Mr. Wright’s car. If Ms. Potter had done nothing, Mr. Engh asserted, Sergeant Johnson could person died.

Ms. Potter’s husband, Jeff, was a constabulary serviceman successful a antithetic Minneapolis suburb until helium retired successful 2017. They person 2 big children.

The 2 counts are abstracted and not mutually exclusive; Ms. Potter tin beryllium convicted oregon acquitted of either charge, oregon of both.

Minnesota instrumentality besides allows juries to see convicting a suspect of an “included offense” — a lesser grade of the aforesaid crime, oregon different lesser transgression that was proved successful the people of the proceedings — successful spot of a complaint listed successful the complaint.

Here are the charges:

COUNT I

First-degree manslaughter

One of the ways Minnesota instrumentality defines first-degree manslaughter is causing someone’s decease portion committing oregon attempting to perpetrate a lesser transgression — a misdemeanor oregon gross misdemeanor — successful a mode that a tenable idiosyncratic could foresee would origin decease oregon large bodily harm.

Specifically, prosecutors impeach Ms. Potter of causing Mr. Wright’s decease done reckless handling oregon usage of a firearm.

First-degree manslaughter is simply a felony, punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a good of up to $30,000. The modular condemnation for idiosyncratic without a transgression record, similar Ms. Potter, would beryllium astir 7 years.

COUNT II

Second-degree manslaughter

One of the ways Minnesota instrumentality defines second-degree manslaughter is causing someone’s decease done culpable negligence, by creating an unreasonable hazard and consciously taking chances of causing decease oregon large bodily harm.

Prosecutors impeach Ms. Potter of doing truthful portion utilizing a firearm.

Second-degree manslaughter is simply a felony, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a good of up to $20,000. The modular condemnation for a idiosyncratic without immoderate erstwhile convictions would beryllium astir 4 years.

Mr. Wright’s decease came during a postulation halt successful a Minneapolis suburb erstwhile an officer, Kimberly Potter, fired a azygous changeable from her handgun, seemingly mistaking it for her Taser.

Mr. Wright had been moving astatine Taco Bell and a Famous Footwear footwear store soon earlier helium died, and was considering a vocation successful carpentry, his parent testified successful court. She said helium had besides enrolled successful Summit Academy, a vocational school, astir 2 months earlier helium was killed. He had six siblings and was surviving astatine his parents’ location with his 2 younger sisters erstwhile helium was killed.

A small implicit a period aft his death, a suit against Mr. Wright’s household raised questions astir whether Mr. Wright was progressive successful a convulsive quality successful May 2019.

The pistillate who filed the suit claimed that Mr. Wright had changeable her lad — a erstwhile person of his — successful the caput successful Minneapolis leaving him severely disabled, perchance due to the fact that the antheral had “beat up” Mr. Wright earlier that month. The suit offers nary nonstop grounds tying Mr. Wright to the shooting, which remains unsolved. Katie Wright has called the claims hurtful, and told The Star Tribune: “To tally with allegations similar that is beauteous bad, whether they are existent oregon not true.”

The justice overseeing the proceedings of Ms. Potter has said Mr. Wright’s behaviour earlier helium was killed — including the allegation that helium changeable the antheral and immoderate erstwhile arrests — tin lone beryllium brought up astatine proceedings if it is shown that Ms. Potter knew astir it astatine the clip of the postulation stop.

Many who knew Mr. Wright person acknowledged that helium had made mistakes but had been trying to amended his beingness for his son.

A friend, Emajay Driver, said that Mr. Wright had “loved to marque radical laugh.” As a freshman successful precocious school, Mr. Wright had been voted a people clown. “There was ne'er a dull moment,” Mr. Driver said.

Delivering a eulogy astatine the funeral, the Rev. Al Sharpton said helium was told that Minneapolis had not seen a ceremonial procession truthful ample since Prince, the instrumentalist who was calved and raised successful Minneapolis, died successful 2016.

“You thought helium was conscionable immoderate kid with an aerial freshener,” Mr. Sharpton said astatine Mr. Wright’s funeral, referring to the aerial freshener hanging from his rearview mirror, which prosecutors said was 1 crushed that the constabulary stopped Mr. Wright’s car. Mr. Sharpton added: “He was a prince, and each of Minneapolis has stopped contiguous to grant the prince of Brooklyn Center.”