By Phil HelselNBC
News
The city of Brooklyn Center, in Minnesota, has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the family of Daunte Wright, the man who was fatally shot in 2021 by police, family lawyers reported Tuesday.
The $3.25 million settlement agreement is not yet final, and will also include changes to police policies, lawyers for the Wright family said.
[“Everything turned into chaos”: the former officer who killed Daunte Wright at a traffic control breaks down in tears while testifying]
"We hope Black families, people of color and all residents feel safer now in Brooklyn Center because of the changes the city must make to address our demands," Wright's parents, Katie and Arbuey Wright, said in a statement. a statement.
Daunte Wright, who was shot dead by Brooklyn Center police during a traffic stop on Sunday. Courtesy of the Wright family
Daunte Wright, 20, black, was fatally shot by then-Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter after a traffic stop on April 11, 2021.
That day, police pulled Wright over for having expired license plates and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.
After officers attempted to arrest Wright on a misdemeanor warrant, Wright got back into the car and a brief struggle ensued.
Potter yelled "Taser!"
but he fired his pistol and killed Wright.
In December, Potter, now 50, was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and a judge sentenced her in February to two years in prison.
[How can a police officer mistake his gun for an electric 'taser' and kill a person?]
The deal with Wright's family will not be finalized until an agreement is reached on policy changes and police training, attorneys for the family said.
Lawyers said they hope those changes will include those related to traffic stops, as well as training on implicit bias, de-escalation and gun confusion.
The Government of Brooklyn Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Brooklyn Center, a city of about 33,000 people, is a northern suburb of Minneapolis.