Footage of the moment Daunte Wright was fatally shot has been released by police.
The video, which is just over a minute long, was recorded on the body cam worn by Kim Potter – the cop who killed Wright.
In the clip, two police officers can be seen approaching Wright's vehicle, with Potter standing behind them. As one officer attempts to handcuff him, the 20-year-old manages to break free and jumps back into the driver's seat of the car to try and flee the scene.
During the struggle, Potter can be seen pulling out her firearm and shouting "Taser! Taser! Taser!" before firing a single gunshot.
Warning: some readers may find the footage upsettingDespite the gunshot wound, Wright manages to drive away, while the officer who shot him can be heard saying: "Holy s**t, I just shot him". Fatally injured by the shot, he crashes his car just a few streets away.
The footage was played during a news conference on Monday, April 12.
Brooklyn Center police in Minnesota are insisting that the fatal shooting of the 20-year-old on Sunday (April 11) was an accident, per the BBC. They say the officer had intended to fire her taser in order to prevent Wright from escaping - rather than her gun.
"It is my belief the officer meant to deploy their Taser but shot him with a single bullet," Chief Gannon said, adding: "There's nothing I can say to lessen the pain."
At the news conference, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott promised to do everything he could to "ensure justice is done for Daunte Wright".
He said: "Our hearts are aching right now, we are in pain right now. We recognize this couldn't have happened at a worse time. This is happening at a time that all of our community, all of America, indeed all of the world is watching."
Wright's death has sparked protests in the US, with crowds defying curfews in order to protest the killing of the unarmed Black man outside Brooklyn Center Police headquarters.
Tensions were especially high considering Wright was shot on the outskirts of the same city in which George Floyd was killed last May.
According to witness accounts, some of the protesters threw fireworks and bottles at police who in turn started using tear gas and stun grenades to break up the crowds.
Officer Potter has resigned from the department.
