Apr 10, 2026 - News

Vigil planned for Daunte Wright 5 years after fatal police shooting

Torey Van Oot

A man lights candles at a memorial for Daunte Wright that has a yellow justice for daunte banner and flowers — Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Saturday marks five years since Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center.

The big picture: Wright's killing, which occurred just 15 miles from where George Floyd was killed a year prior, rocked a metro that was already on edge due to the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

It sparked days of protests and renewed debates over traffic stop policies and proposals to shift more public safety duties from police to mental health responders.

Flashback: Officer Kimberly Potter shot and killed Wright, who was Black, during a traffic stop prompted by expired tags and a hanging air freshener. Potter discovered Wright had an active arrest warrant and tried to take him into custody.

Potter, who is white, said she inadvertently pulled out her gun instead of a Taser as Wright attempted to flee.

Potter was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to about two years in prison. She was released in 2023.

Catch up quick: After years of debate, the Brooklyn Center City Council created an advisory board to help shape the city's public safety policies.

Wright's mother has called the panel "watered down."

🕯️What's next: Wright's family is holding a candlelight vigil at the permanent memorial marking the site of the shooting at 6pm Saturday.

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Vigil planned for Daunte Wright 5 years after fatal police shooting

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