Officers involved in Minnesota shooting deserve due process: Former detective
Ted Williams, a former Washington D.C. detective, reacts to police resignations on 'The Story'
While the actions of Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter appear "deeply" concerning, the veteran officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright deserves due process and a thorough investigation, former Washington, D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams told "The Story" on Tuesday.
Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon both resigned from their positions after two consecutive nights of rioting and looting in response to the deadly shooting.
"I got to tell you, it's a mess and a circus from what I've seen," Williams said.
The two resignations followed the firing of Brooklyn Center City Manager Curt Boganey after he publicly disagreed with Mayor Mike Elliott’s assertion that Potter should be fired in response to the incident.
DAUNTE WRIGHT SHOOTING: POLICE CHIEF, OFFICER RESIGN AFTER NIGHT 2 OF RIOTS
Williams called Boganey's firing "unfortunate" and argued that he was "absolutely right" to reserve judgment and advocate for due process under the law.
"He's gone, and that’s unfortunate because he's absolutely right. She [Potter] deserves due process," Williams said.
"She submitted her resignation. I’d suspect that with 26 years [service], she's definitely in a position to actually retire from the force," he added.
On Monday, Gannon told reporters that Wright died after Potter mistook her sidearm for a Taser. She can be heard on body camera footage yelling "Taser!" while engaged in a struggle with Wright. Seconds later, a shot rings out and the officer says, "Oh, s---, I just shot him."
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Williams reiterated that an officer with Potter's experience should have known the difference between a Taser and a firearm, noting that officers are typically trained annually on using both firearms and stun guns.
"I am deeply concerned about the actions here of Officer Kim Potter," he said. "She pulled what she thought was Taser and she actually pulled her service revolver. I got to tell you, those are two different weapons ... they have different shapes. So they need a full and thorough investigation to determine what happened here."