Police Officer Shares Video Showing How Hard It Is To Mistake a Taser for a Gun
Police Officer Shares Video Showing How Hard It Is To Mistake a Taser for a Gun
A police officer has posted an eye-opening video about how hard it is to mistake a taser for a gun due to the obvious differences between them.
The clip comes just a week after a twenty-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, was killed after a cop mistook those 2 particular weapons.
Read on for the full video.
Last Sunday, April 11th, Daunte Wright was pulled over in Minnesota for a traffic violation.
And things were quick to take a very sinister turn.
Shocking bodycam footage has since been released of the officers' confrontation with Wright, an unarmed twenty-year-old Black man.
After pulling Wright - a father of 1 - over for the traffic violation and handcuffing him, officers soon realized there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
But Wright suddenly attempted to reenter his car and escape while being handcuffed, prompting a struggle with the officers.
"I'll tase ya!" a female police officer is heard shouting as the young man tries to get back into his car.
"Taser, Taser, Taser!" she shouts...
But instead of firing a tase gun, she fires a handgun directly at Wright instead.
"Oh s***! I just shot him," she's then heard saying after pulling the trigger.
Wright slams down on the accelerator as he's shot, causing his car to speed away.
He managed to drive several blocks before crashing and dying from a gunshot wound to his chest, according to the medical examiner, as per Sky News.
From the moment Wright's death was announced to the public, outrage was triggered...
tw // police brutality #DaunteWright, a 20 year old father of a two year old, was killed by police in Brooklyn Center. He was on the way to have his car washed when he was pulled over by the police for having an air freshener obstructing the view of the rear view mirror. pic.twitter.com/WHfcpNP7rD
— io⁷ (@diorthewhore) April 12, 2021
And people have been demanding justice for yet another Black man to die at the hands of the police here in America.
On the evening following the tragic event, several hundred people defied the curfew and gathered at the Brooklyn Center police station in protest of Wright's untimely death.
But sadly, it didn't take long for things to turn violent.
Officers in riot gear fired gas canisters and flash-bang grenades after some demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at the station...
And the anger and emotion in the air was undeniable.
Wright's mother, Katie Wright, was also present at the protest.
She later revealed to KARE 11 that she was on the phone with her son as he got pulled over and heard the "scuffle."
"A minute later, I called and his girlfriend answered, who was the passenger in the car, and said that he'd been shot and she put it on the driver's side, and my son was laying there, lifeless."
She then said:
"My heart is broken in a thousand pieces... I miss him so much, and it's only been a day. He was my life, he was my son and I can never get that back. Because of a mistake? Because of an accident?"
It's utterly heartbreaking to lose yet another life at the hands of police brutality...
But right now, all eyes are on one person... and that's the female police officer who pulled the trigger on this young man.
The police officer has since been identified by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as Kim Potter, a twenty-six-year veteran of the police department.
Ofc. Kim Potter killed Daunte Wright — but did she know the difference between a handgun and a taser? The facts:
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 13, 2021
‼️ 26 years as a police officer — She was 6 YEARS into her career when Daunte was BORN!
‼️ Serves as police union president
‼️ Defended questionable actions before... pic.twitter.com/M9eMU7Tyjw
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon told reporters on Tuesday he believes the officer meant to reach for her taser but instead grabbed her gun.
"This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officer's reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright," Gannon said, as per BuzzFeed News.
Gannon would not comment directly on whether she would be fired...
But added, "I think we can watch the video and ascertain whether she will be returning."
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott then said that he supported Potter being terminated.
Just got off the phone with Daunte’s father to offer my condolences. I cannot begin to imagine the pain his family is going through right now, but we grieve with you for your loss. I also assured him that I will do everything to ensure justice is served. pic.twitter.com/7D8JazK0dZ
— Mayor Mike Elliott (@mayor_elliott) April 12, 2021
"My position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession, so I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties."
Prosecutors have announced that Potter will be charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Breaking on @MSNBC: Kim Potter to be charged with 2nd Degree Manslaughter in the Daunte Wright case. @NBCNews
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 14, 2021
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput confirmed the charge with multiple news outlets, explaining it will be filed later on Wednesday.
The charging decision came at the end of what Orput described as a "thorough yet expedited" investigation into the shooting by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Officer Kim Potter killed Daunte Wright. She has been a cop for 25 years/president of the Brooklyn Center Police Officer's Association, and can’t tell the difference between a taser and a glock. pic.twitter.com/ELkbAmFshU
— BallerAlert (@balleralert) April 13, 2021
A second-degree manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
It's now been a week after the tragic event and people are still asking the same question: How do you mistake a gun for a taser?
bruh how do you mistake a gun for a taser after 26 years? If the police union continues to use that ridiculous defense, it should require 27 years of training to become a cop so cops don't make the same "rookie mistake"
— Spencer Johnson (@deathbymustelid) April 13, 2021
It's apparent that someone with over twenty-six years of experience on the force would know such a crucial difference. The excuse that it was "just in the heat of the moment" has, of course, been widely scrutinized and doubted.
Now, a police officer has decided to clarify what we all knew to be true.
Posting to TikTok @brian1504 showed us the differences between the 2 weapons and provided explanations as to why it would be very difficult to get them confused.
He said this:
"Huge weight difference, guys - I don't understand how we can mistake a taser for a gun or a gun for a taser.
"If you're in the heat of the moment and you do something like that, you shouldn't be doing this job."
He continued:
"I'm not going to put my life on the line to try and fix your stupidity and deal with restoring the peace with my public that I serve just because of your stupid actions."
"It makes no sense. 99 percent of our job is communication..."
"You don't have to be quick to pull out a gun or a taser on somebody and think everybody's a threat. Not everybody's a threat. Try talking to them, get to know these people."
The video received over 5 million views as well as over 1 million comments.
Well, actually, there are two ways you can mistake a taser for a gun: #1: You're seriously incompetent. #2: You're grossly impaired.
— AltUSCustoms (@alt_uscbp) April 17, 2021
I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that ANYONE thinks "I thought it was my taser" is a valid defense.
It has also been shared to multiple other social media platforms as his TikTok account has now been deleted. But regardless, comments have still been pouring in.
We need to stop pretending that this was #stupidity. This was not an #accident. This was an intentional #murder. Stop excusing it by referring to it as stupidity. It is the furthest thing from stupidity, it is a well planned #execution.
— Richard MacDougall (@RichardMacDou16) April 17, 2021
More of this guy and less of the cops who confuse policing w hunting black people
— Rebecca Dante (@RebeccaDante) April 17, 2021
— and in many precincts (because who needs standards?) it’s weighed heavily towards firearm use with little to no de-escalation training.
— 🏡 Christopher Mardell (@chrismardell) April 17, 2021
Thank you officer. Call it what it is; ‘stupidity’ (you forgot to use ‘arrogance’). Used to be police ‘officers’ would talk to ppl; not now it’s: shot first and talk later.”🇯🇲🇨🇦⚖️
— Pat Reid (@PatReidMusic) April 18, 2021
This police officer understands the meaning of serve and protect
— BlueinOkla (@Virgini43077700) April 17, 2021
Watch the TikTok video here:
“I don’t understand how we can mistake a taser for a gun or a gun for a taser. 99% of our job is communication. You don’t gotta be quick to pull out a gun or a taser. Not everybody’s a threat. Try talking to them, get to know them people.” — 12 year Veteran Police Officer Brian B pic.twitter.com/feOIUBH2tu
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. قاسم رشید (@QasimRashid) April 17, 2021
Rest in Power, Daunte.
Our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to his family during this terrible time, and we hope justice will soon be served.
This is a developing story and updates will be posted accordingly.
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