IT’S “hard to believe” the veteran police officer who shot Daunte Wright could have confused her gun for her Taser, an ex-Miami vice cop has said.
“The tasers are always worn on your non-dominant hand,” former officer John Rode explained to The Sun.
“You have your firearm on your right side if you’re right handed and your Taser on your left side.”
“So it’s hard to believe she didn’t know the difference between her firearm and the Taser,” he told The Sun.
Kim Potter, a now ex-Minnesota cop and 26-year veteran, was heard on bodycam footage saying, “Oh s*** I shot him,” after opening fire on Wright, 20, at a stoplight in Brooklyn Center, near Minneapolis, on Sunday.
After a week of riots over the fatal shooting, Potter was released on a $100,000 bail and charged with second degree manslaughter Thursday.
The hearing lasted under 10 minutes with Potter’s date of birth and address being confirmed. A second appearance date of May 17 was also scheduled.
The maximum sentence for her charge is 10-years behind bars and/or a $20,000 fine, Minnesota statutes state.
Potters’ alleged Taser-gun mix-up is not the first of its kind.
At least 18 officers have made such errors in the past two decades, sometimes with deadly outcomes, Reuters reported.
For Rode, a self-proclaimed cocaine cowboy who worked for Miami vice in the 80s, it all comes down to training and muscle memory.
“When you get into a stressful situation, you go back to muscle memory.”
“She went for her firearm and didn’t realize it,” he said.
Rode also acknowledged that police could spend less time in the firing range and more time learning about the psychology of people.
“They need to know how to talk to citizens. Treat people the way you want to be treated if you’re in that situation,” he said.
“You have the hardcore criminals who break the law.”
“But you also have hard working people that get pulled over, who are just trying to put their kids through school.”
“And you can’t treat everyone like they’re a hardcore criminal,” he told the Sun.
