A former police officer who was convicted of killing 20-year-old Daunte Wright has been released from prison.
On Monday, Kim Potter, who was originally sentenced to two years for manslaughter after allegedly mistaking her handgun for a Taser and fatally shooting Wright in 2021, was released from prison.
According to a report by CBS News Minnesota, the area's Department of Corrections said Potter was released at approximately 5 AM local time after serving 16 months of what was supposed to be a 24-month detention.
She will be on supervised release for the remainder of the sentence, as per the outlet.
In a statement, Andy Skoogman a spokesperson from the correction facility said: "Based on the intelligence we gathered, we released Ms. Potter at a time we felt was safest for her and for everyone at the correctional facility."
"Our criminal investigative analysts are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation to ensure Kim Potter, like all incarcerated persons, is safe as she leaves our facility," Skoogman continued.
The release was first announced on Friday, however, the time of the former police officer's departure was kept firmly under wraps for security purposes which was emphasized by Skoogman.
The now 50-year-old made headlines back in 2021 when she killed 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright after pulling him over for having expired license tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.
As he was being arrested, the father-of-one was shot and died at the scene.
Potter was convicted of first and second-degree manslaughter in the April 2021 incident as per ABC News. She had pleaded not guilty to both charges. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a fine of $1,000, which was far below what the prosecution had asked for.
At the time, Wright's family and their attorney, Ben Crump - the legal representative who also defended George Floyd's family - denounced the two-year sentence as too lenient and accused the judge of giving more consideration to the white officer than the Black victim.
After the sentencing, Wright's mom said that Potter "murdered my son," before adding that: "Today the justice system murdered him all over again."
Potter, who was a 26-year police veteran, apologized to Wright's family at sentencing and spoke directly to his mother, saying: "Katie, I understand a mother's love. I'm sorry I broke your heart... my heart is broken and devastated for all of you."
Speaking of a new photo release from the correction facility where the 50-year-old was detained, her attorney, Earl Gray, emphsized that this was the outcome of "doing time."
"It just shows it's rough doing time. I don't know many mug shots that show somebody in a good light," he said.
So far, neither Crump nor Wright's family have spoken out about the release.
