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May 17 (UPI) -- A Minneapolis judge ruled Monday that the Minnesota police officer charged in the shooting death of Daunte Wright will stand trial in December. Hennepin County Judge Regina M. Chu set a tentative trial date of Dec. 6 for Kim Potter, a 48-year-old former police officer in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, who faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter for killing Wright, a 20-year-old Black man.
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During the virtual omnibus hearing, Special Assistant Hennepin County Prosecutor Imran Ali expressed concerns with the start date, including the amount of time for discovery and witness selection available to the state, but Chu said she would try to maintain the date.
"I think it's to the benefit of everyone to try and expedite this case and try to come to a resolution or trial as quickly as reasonably possible," said Chu.
Potter did not speak during the trial, her first court appearance since April 15, aside from acknowledging she consented to the virtual hearing.
Wright was shot dead during a traffic stop on April 11. Authorities have said it's likely Potter intended to use her stun gun, but mistakenly pulled her firearm.
Wright was pulled over with an expired license plate. During the stop, officers learned he had an outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrant.
Body camera video footage shows another officer beginning to arrest Wright and Wright fleeing to his vehicle as Potter pulls her gun and yells "Taser" several times before firing a single bullet.
Chu denied several requests from media organizations to record Monday's hearing. Video recording of such cases in Minnesota is only allowed if both parties consent, and Potter opposed the recording.
Wright's killing ignited multiple days of protests in the area, which was still recovering from the police shooting of George Floyd in May 2020. The main officer in that case, Derek Chauvin, was found guilty last month on counts of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
