Daunte Wright: Former police officer charged following shooting

A white ex-police officer, Kim Potter, has been charged after shooting a black man, named Daunte Wright, in Minnesota, USA, on Sunday 11 April.

Daunte Wright, 20, died after being shot by Mrs Potter who said she mistook her gun for a Taser. A Taser uses electric shocks to temporarily stun a person.

Mrs Potter and the local police chief, Tim Gannon, quit their jobs following the event. They were both members of the Brooklyn Center police force based in Minnesota.

Lots of people are angry about Mr Wright's death because it's seen as another time a white police officer's actions have led to the death of a black person.

The anger has sparked protests in Minnesota where a curfew has been brought in. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, called for "peace and calm" following the shooting.

Mrs Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

All major sporting events in the state have been postponed with ice hockey, basketball and baseball matches all having to be rearranged.

What have people said?

There have been lots of protests following Daunte Wright's death

Speaking in a press conference at the White House, President Biden said that a full investigation is needed to work out why Daunte Wright died.

"The question is was it an accident? Was it intentional? That remains to be determined by a full-blown investigation," he said.

He urged Americans in the area to listen to the wishes of Daunte's mother, Katie, who has called for calm and no violence.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott has also spoken out following the events, and he's stressed that Daunte's family deserve justice. He also said he hoped Officer Potter's resignation would "bring some calm to the community".

"We want to send a message to the community that we are taking this situation seriously," he added.

What happened?

Mr Wright was stopped by police on Sunday for allegedly breaking a traffic law, but there was a struggle when he tried to get back into his car.

He was shot by a police officer and died shortly afterwards.

"It is my belief the officer meant to deploy their Taser but shot him with a single bullet," police chief Tim Gannon said, adding: "There's nothing I can say to lessen the pain."

Mr Wright's mother, Katie, said her heart had been "broken in a thousand pieces... I miss him so much".

George Floyd (pictured) died after being stopped by police in Minneapolis in May 2020

Why is Minnesota tense?

Tensions are already very high in this part of America, where police officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial over the death of George Floyd.

The US city of Brooklyn Center is just 14 miles away from where George Floyd died in police custody last May.

His death brought about global protests against racism.