The Daunte Wright Memorial

Located at 63^rd and Kathrene Drive in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota sits the memorial of Daunte Wright. Daunte was a typical teenager and charismatic individual who loved being a father to his young son and playing basketball. On April 11, 2021, Daunte's life was cut short when he was killed by Officer Kim Potter when she deployed her pistol instead of her taser. Not even a year after the death of George Floyd, Wright’s murder was another tragedy that contributed to the world’s fight against police brutality. His legacy lives on through his memorial site as well as those fighting for justice on behalf of him.

Near the intersection of 63rd and Kathrene Drive in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota is the memorial dedicated to Daunte Wright. Candles, cards, posters, balloons, flowers, basketballs, and portraits are just some of the items that have been left by many to honor and remember his short life. A large wooden monument of a fist sits high above the items placed below it. This monument, designed by Jordan Powell-Karis, was originally seen at George Floyd Square at the intersection of East 38^th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, not too far away from the memorial of Wright (Hovland, 2021). Although Wright’s largest memorial lies in Brooklyn Center, other temporary sites were made shortly after his death. One is located in Los Angeles, California. This site commemorates Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo. Adam Toledo was a thirteen-year-old Latino American boy who was killed in Chicago by law enforcement in March of 2021 (Howe & Boyle, 2021). Toledo was carrying a gun and when he dropped it to comply with the officer’s orders, he was shot and killed. As a result of the two deaths, the community came together to memorialize the two and bring attention to the problem of police brutality. This site was vandalized by a group of people where the candles were blown out and smashed on the concrete below (Batchelor, 2021). The second temporary memorial site was located in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was a smaller memorial but it commemorated George Floyd and Daunte Wright together, as their deaths happened within close proximity of each other. Memory and controversy play a large part in Daunte's story. His memorial site in Brooklyn Center serves as Wright’s legacy living on, but the controversy lies within the actions of law enforcement and public opinion. As more deaths related to police brutality happen as we speak, the fight continues to bring justice to Wright’s family and the families that have lost loved ones.

Voted class clown in high school, Daunte was known as the person that could cheer everyone up with his beaming smile and funny jokes. At the age of nine, Wright’s family moved to Minnesota from Wisconsin. The transition was hard for Daunte and as a result, he ended up having problems in school. He attended three schools including Edison, Patrick Henry, and Stadium View High Schools. Finding out he was going to become a father, Wright began to work several jobs to save up for his unborn child. Having a deep passion for the sport of basketball, Wright dreamed of teaching his son how to play and even wanted to work toward having the opportunity to play in the NBA one day. Daunte Wright would never have the chance to make these dreams a reality.

Around 2 p.m. on April 11, 2021, Daunte Wright was pulled over by a Brooklyn Center police officer due to expired tags on his car at the intersection of 63^rd Avenue North and Orchard Avenue. Wright’s girlfriend was in the passenger seat. As the officer approached the vehicle, it was also noted that Wright had items hanging from his rearview mirror which is illegal in Minnesota. As he was being pulled over, Wright made a phone call to his mother. After running his name and retrieving Wright’s record, the officer discovered an active warrant for carrying a pistol without a permit and fleeing a police officer (Kaul & Gustavo, 2021). With three officers now present, they attempted to arrest Wright and handcuff him. Daunte managed to make it back into the driver’s seat. Kim Potter, one of the officers on the scene, was present as a field training officer. According to the bodycam footage, Officer Potter drew her gun and stated “I’ll tase him” (Kaul & Gustavo, 2021). As Wright is in the driver’s seat, Officer Potter yells “taser, taser, taser” before she fires a shot that hits Daunte Wright in the chest. After firing the shot, she stated “Holy sh*t, I just shot him.” Wright’s vehicle ended up rolling off the scene and hitting another car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. After Daunte’s death and the police bodycam footage was released, citizen outrage and protests began at the Brooklyn Center Police Department and around the country. As the protests ensued, the department used tear gas and grenades to fight off the crowd (Sullivan & Romo, 2021). Daunte Wright’s murder comes after George Floyd’s murder and the outpouring of support for the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. The Black Lives Matter movement has existed for many years now, however, the brutal murders of Black individuals in the recent years has caused the movement to gain some much-needed attention worldwide. This large movement has been detrimental and effective in making sure those responsible are accurately convicted.

Citizens of Minneapolis, as well as supporters of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement and the rest of the country, could not seem to make sense of Officer Kim Potter’s deadly mistake. According to the BBC, tasers differ from guns in that they weigh significantly less, are brighter in color, and have no safety on them. To add to the confusion, officers carry their guns and tasers on opposite sides of their belts. Whether her mistake is due to lack of consistent training or pure evil, it is no question that Daunte Wright fell victim to police brutality when he was stopped for something so simple. Her memory played a large role in this incident, as a small memory lapse ended in a fatality. Officer Kim Potter was charged with first and second-degree manslaughter, according to the Minnesota Post.

Daunte Wright is just one of many Black individuals that have been senselessly killed by law enforcement. Even though police brutality against Black individuals is not new, the recent and brutal deaths of those we have come to know well have brought attention to this large problem that has profound impacts. Wright was pulled over for expired tags and he ended up dead only a few minutes after the initial stop due to the negligence and unsympathetic actions of the officers on duty. Police brutality against Black individuals has always existed and will continue to do so until proper action is taken to prevent future perpetrators from committing these horrific acts.

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“Daunte Wright Memorial,” George Floyd & Anti-Racist Street Art, accessed October 6, 2021, https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/items/show/2206.

Kaul, Greta . ‘I just shot him’: What we now know about the killing of Daunte Wright by a Brooklyn Center police officer, MinnPost. April 16th 2021. Accessed October 6th 2021. https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2021/04/i-just-shot-him-what-we-now-know-about-the-killing-of-daunte-wright-by-a-brooklyn-center-police-officer/. .

Sullivan, Becky. Officer Who Fatally Shot Daunte Wright With 'Accidental Discharge' Is Identified, NPR. April 12th 2021. Accessed October 6th 2021. www.npr.org/2021/04/12/986458941/police-say-accidental-discharge-of-gun-led-to-daunte-wrights-death. .

Daunte Wright shooting: How can you mistake a gun for a Taser?, BBC News. April 15th 2021. Accessed October 6th 2021. www.bbc.com/news/56734989.