NPR

Police Say 'Accidental Discharge' Of Gun Led To Daunte Wright's Death

Brooklyn Center, Minn., police Chief Tim Gannon said that the officer who shot Daunte Wright meant to deploy her Taser — but pulled her gun instead.
Protests lasted for hours at the spot where 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright died after being shot by police Sunday in a Minneapolis suburb.

Officials in Brooklyn Center, Minn., called the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, the result of an "accidental discharge" of a gun by a police officer.

At a press conference Monday, Brooklyn Center police Chief Tim Gannon played body camera footage of the shooting, saying its circumstances demanded transparency.

"It is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Gannon said. "This appears to me, from what I've 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."

The fatal

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
After A Serious Car Accident, A Man Pulled Over — And Continued To Help For Days
In 1997, Apryle Oswald got in a car accident. The man who responded went on to help for three more days — driving her dog to the vet and Oswald's boyfriend back and forth to the hospital.
NPR4 min read
'Dance Your Ph.D.' Winner On Science, Art, And Embracing His Identity
Weliton Menário Costa's award-winning music video showcases his research on kangaroo personality and behavior — and offers a celebration of human diversity, too.
NPR4 min read
Last-minute Candidate José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama's Presidential Election
José Raúl Mulino was set to become the new leader of the Central American nation as authorities unofficially called the race Sunday night after his three nearest rivals conceded.

Related Books & Audiobooks