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Is “Defunding the Police” the Opposite of What We Need to Do?
What a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt and police trainer has to say about the state of law enforcement.
On Sunday, April 11, 2021, yet another fatal police shooting took place, this time in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Daunte Wright, the victim, was pulled over by police for an expired license plate. When the police discovered that Wright had an outstanding arrest warrant, they attempted to take him into custody. However, Wright resisted arrest and tried to flee the scene in his vehicle. One of the officers, Kim Potter, threatened to taser Wright, but pulled out her gun instead and shot Wright in the chest.
In the bodycam footage, Potter is heard saying, “I’ll Tase you! I’ll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” before firing one shot. She then says, “Holy shit! I shot him.”
The following day, Potter’s actions were described as “an accidental discharge” by Tim Gannon, Brooklyn Center Police Chief. But, speaking on ABC’s Good Morning America, Wright’s father, Aubrey Wright, rejected that explanation.
“I can’t accept that,” he said. “A mistake? That doesn’t even sound right. This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can’t accept that.”
