Before the sentencing by Judge Regina Chu was announced, Wright’s parents, two of his siblings, and Daunte’s son’s mother, read aloud victim impact statements to the court.
Daunte’s mother Katie Wright (Bryant) spoke first. She gave an emotional statement relaying her feelings since Potter killed her son. She said she’s had many sleepless nights contemplating what she would say during the victim impact statements.
Katie referred to Potter as the “defendant” and mentioned how Potter never said Daunte’s name when she took the stand, only referring to him as “the driver.” So, she said she wasn’t going to call Potter by her name and give her that respect.
Katie spoke about seeing her son’s body dragged from the car and having to watch from behind the crime scene tape. She said she continually feels a sinking feel like how you lose your child in a grocery store, you can’t feel him or see him, and you don’t know if he’s okay.
While Daunte was dying, Katie said the defendant was rolling on the ground on the grass crying for herself rather than calling out or crying for Daunte and for people to go save him.
Katie said the defendant didn’t seem sympathetic at all and never made eye contact with the family during the trial. Katie asked Judge Chu to sentence defendant Potter to the highest accountability.
Aubrey Wright, Daunte’s father, spoke about watching his son sleep and imagining how he would grow up, how he had watched Daunte walk as a baby and then saw Daunte’s child be born. He said his heart hurts now thinking about how Daunte’s son won’t have his father in his life and will only remember his dad through stories because of Kim’s “recklessness.”
He said Potter didn’t only kill Daunte but that her shooting him in the heart also damaged his whole family’s heart, and every time they get together now “it always ends in tears.”
Damik Bryant, Daunte’s oldest brother, spoke about playing games with Daunte and growing up with him. He read a poem aloud, which included the line: “If our love could have saved you, you never would have died.”
Daunte’s sister Diamond Wright spoke about her heart being shattered from Potter’s action, which she said was not an accident. She said that Potter should’ve been charged with murder, not manslaughter, and called for the highest sentencing amount. She said “he could light up a stadium with his smile and laugh.” She said she now feels “like an empty body just taking up space.”
The mother of Daunte’s son, Chyna spoke. She shared how she shows Daunte Jr. pictures of Daunte and he responds by saying “dada.” She also said how she suffers from severe PTSD and how when she’s been pulled over, she has horrible anxiety about making any mistakes and fears being killed by police. Although, she said she doesn’t want her son to be afraid of police. She hoped Kim Potter would be sentenced to the highest amount for executing her son’s father.
Both Katie and Damik mentioned how disrespected they felt seeing Potter smile in her mugshot photograph after being convicted.
Text taken directly from Unicorn Riot Article.
Kim Potter Sentencing Injustice
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