Minnesota Department of Corrections has confirmed Kim Potter will now not be moved out of state to a new prison.
It comes after Alpha News was the first to report the potential move 3.5 hours south of Shakopee to the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women near Des Moines.
Multiple sources confirmed that for days Commissioner Paul Schnell was contemplating the move, saying it was part of protocol to move convicted police officers out of state for safety reasons.
Potter’s husband, Jeff, told Alpha News the potential move came out of the blue last week when his wife was put on a call for an interview with the Iowa facility with no warning.
“The next thing I knew she was on the phone with me crying, saying that she would be moved,” Jeff Potter said.
He said his wife had been doing alright, considering the circumstances, until this news.
“She was doing the best she can in Shakopee, coping, until all of this last week,” Jeff Potter said.
“When the whole scenario came up of moving her … it crushed her,” he added, noting that he was only recently allowed to visit his wife in prison for the first time after COVID-19 restrictions on visitors were lifted.
Prison staff at Shakopee have reportedly told Potter’s family there are no safety issues and they saw no reason to move her, either.
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was transferred to a prison in North Dakota a month after his sentencing in the death of Justine Damond.
In February, Potter was sentenced to two years in prison for the killing of Daunte Wright. She will likely serve another year in prison and then be put on supervised release.
In a statement, a Department of Corrections supervisor confirmed that “Ms. Potter will not be transferred to a different state.”
Liz Collin
Liz Collin has been a truth-teller for 20 years as a multi-Emmy-Award-winning reporter and anchor. Liz is a Worthington, Minnesota native who lives in the suburbs with her husband, son and loyal lab.
