County sheriff’s deputy says Black Lives Matter activist was trying to kill her and her son
Potter’s ex-supervisor says she had right to use deadly force against Daunte Wright
The former deputy charged with shooting dead an unarmed Black Lives Matter activist outside a Walmart in Minnesota had the right to use deadly force because Daunte Wright was trying to kill her and her son, according to a police summary obtained by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Daunte Wright (left) and his children in 2015. Photograph: Jefferson Pierce/AP
Two years after the fatal encounter, chief administrative officer Beth Elia reported that Minneapolis police were looking for witnesses in the shooting to help them with their ongoing investigation.
“At this time, we believe it is still necessary to question the public about how best to interview key witnesses in the case,” she wrote.
Wright was shot dead by a Minneapolis police officer in October 2016 outside a Walmart. It followed an argument that broke out after the activist and his family had a “squabble” over store parking spaces, according to testimony at an earlier hearing.
Another Walmart shopper had rushed to Wright’s aid after seeing him shot and lying on the ground, while another was mortally wounded by gunfire, the witness said.
Wright’s wife, Evonne, has accused the police of covering up the details of the shooting. In a Facebook post, she wrote of being outraged after being told that “Daunte was shot in the back and pushed his son into a doorway.”
Timothy Ringgenberg, 48, faces six charges, including first-degree manslaughter. According to Minnesota state court filings, he told investigators after the shooting that he had drawn his weapon to protect his and his son’s lives.
Authorities charged Ringgenberg, a 16-year veteran of the police department, after determining his actions were not justified under state law. The prosecution then said they planned to call witnesses at Ringgenberg’s upcoming trial to testify about what happened on the day of the shooting.