Washington training was canceled after Kim Potter was scheduled to speak

KING5.com

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board canceled a training session after the agency learned an officer involved in a controversial shooting was scheduled to be a part of it.
Kim Potter, a former Minnesota police officer, was convicted of manslaughter after she shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in 2021.
Potter was scheduled to take part in a training event for state Liquor and Cannabis law enforcement officers next week in Vancouver, Washington.
The event was canceled after the Seattle Times contacted the board about the event.
“We were shocked to hear it,” said David Postman, board chair.
Daunte Wright’s mother, Katie, said she had no idea Potter would be a part of a training session until after it was canceled.
“She doesn’t get to triumph off of our tragedy.” Potter was supposed to speak alongside former Washington County Assistant Prosecutor Imran Ali.
Postman said the board and agency director did not know Potter was going to be participating in the event.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said it’s unfortunate the planned training was canceled and hopes they reconsider.
I think it is admirable that Kim Potter would want to come forth and tell her story to help other people learn.

NEGATIVE

Washington, Vancouver. — After learning that an officer involved in a contentious shooting was supposed to attend a training session, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board canceled it.

Following a traffic stop in 2021, Kim Potter, a former Minnesota police officer, shot and killed Daunte Wright. She was found guilty of manslaughter. Out of a two-year sentence, she completed 16 months of service.

Potter claimed that she mistook her taser for her service weapon.

Next week in Vancouver, Washington, Potter was supposed to participate in a training session for state law enforcement officers tasked with handling marijuana and alcohol.

The Seattle Times contacted the board regarding the event, leading to its cancellation.

The board chair, David Postman, stated, “We were shocked to hear it.”. When it was brought to our notice, a number of people were startled and uneasy. “.

Postman said that in consideration of Wright’s family, the event was canceled.

Katie, the mother of Daunte Wright, said she was unaware that Potter would be attending a training session until it was postponed.

Katie remarked, “I was hurt and angry at the same time.”. “I find it incomprehensible that she would think she has the right to enter a community and take advantage of our tragedy. “. .

Katie expressed her relief that it was canceled out of consideration for her and her family.

“Kim Potter’s name always makes me feel like I’m ripping off a band-aid from a wound that will always be bleeding,” Katie remarked. She doesn’t benefit from our tragedy in any way. “.

Imran Ali, a former Washington County assistant prosecutor, was scheduled to speak with Potter.

He stated in an email, “We have presented before, but not very much. Her involvement in any given training typically ranges from 5 to 10%. “.

Money, he said, is not her goal.

“The majority of public speaking is unpaid,” Ali wrote in an email. I make sure she gets a small stipend in addition to covering her travel expenses if she needs to go out of town. “.”.

Potter’s participation in the event was not known to the agency director or the board, according to Postman.

Although it might change in the future, he stated that agency staff currently has the authority to schedule speakers without agency leadership’s consent.

You would think that whoever was in charge of the planning would have anticipated that this might be contentious, Postman said.

It’s regrettable that the scheduled training was canceled, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison hopes they will think twice.

Ellison stated, “We should all respect and at the very least, support the feelings that victims feel.”. “As Attorney General, we are simultaneously working to decrease police-community encounters involving lethal force. The desire of Kim Potter to share her story and educate others is admirable, in my opinion. She possesses a tale of caution, after all. “.

According to Ellison, Potter’s past could enhance law enforcement.

Ellison expressed his opinion that it might enhance policing and be advantageous for public safety. She can explain to them that despite her training and experience, she made a fatal mistake when she killed Daunte Wright. She spent decades as a police officer, believed in what she was doing, and was committed. “.

Katie, though, is unable to see how Potter’s participation in training sessions can enhance law enforcement.

Nobody can take that as a lesson, Katie declared. “I don’t believe she has gained any knowledge. She would have sent us a letter if she had discovered anything. I’m still waiting for word. “.

In order to stay connected to her son, Katie said she goes to his memorial three times a week.

“Every time I come out here, I talk to him, and I feel like he hears me,” Katie remarked.

His face is depicted in detail in a metal sculpture, with various symbols incorporated into the design.

Katie said, “This is the face of Daunte with his crown.”. “We have a few fists stuck in his crown. We possess the No. Because of basketball and Michael Jordan, 23 is his favorite number. The infinity simply indicates that he will continue to exist eternally. It will always be possible to hear and tell his story. “.

Beside the artwork is a memorial that features a photograph of Daunte along with a copy of his death certificate.

Because it documents that he was shot and killed, the death certificate held great significance for Katie. Furthermore, I want people to keep in mind that law enforcement killed him. “. .

Red flowers are currently blooming in a flowerbed that they planted by the memorial.

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