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Brooklyn Center police chief says cops 'train with our handguns on our dominant side ... Taser on our weak side,' insists 'accidental discharge' killed Daunte Wright
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Brooklyn Center police chief says cops 'train with our handguns on our dominant side ... Taser on our weak side,' insists 'accidental discharge' killed Daunte Wright

'It is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser'

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said that the officer who shot Daunte Wright was trained to carry her service weapon on the right side of her belt and her Taser on her left, Insider reported, while insisting that Wright was dead because of an accidental discharge.

TheBlaze previously reported that Officer Kimberly Potter shouted "Taser" several times before firing her gun on Wright. Potter, a 26-year veteran on the force, said that she intended to fire her Taser and not her gun.

What are the details?

During a Monday press conference, Gannon said that officers train with handguns on their dominant side and Tasers on their weak side.

"If you're right-handed, you carry your firearm on your right side, and you carry your Taser on the left," he said according to Insider. "This is done purposefully, and it's trained."

"As I watched the video and listened to the officers commands, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Gannon continued.

Insider noted:

The Glock 22, a .40 caliber sidearm preferred by most police agencies across the country, weighs a little more than two pounds with a standard magazine of 15 bullets.

By contrast, a Taser weighs eight ounces. In addition to the vastly different weight and placement, police Tasers are often yellow. This appears to be the case with at least one of the officers who can be seen in the video from Potter's bodycam footage, as a yellow taser can clearly be seen on the left side of his belt.

A Glock has a sophisticated safety system that prevents accidental discharge. The safety for a Glock 22 is located on the weapon's trigger.

A Taser also has a safety; it is located on the upper rear left of the weapon's barrel.

A 2012 Associated Press report revealed that there have been at least "nine cases in which officers shot suspects with handguns when they said they meant to fire stun guns" dating back to 2001.

Wright was reportedly driving a sedan when officers pulled him over for having expired tags. When officers discovered that Wright had an outstanding warrant, he reportedly attempted to flee from police and was shot in the process.

In body camera footage, Potter shouted, "I'll tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser" before firing her service weapon at Wright.

After firing, Potter cried, "Holy s**t, I just shot him."

Potter was initially placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.

On Tuesday, Gannon and Potter both resigned from the department.

In a statement, Potter said, "I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately."

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