The mother of Daunte Wright accused a Brooklyn Center police officer of assaulting her Wednesday evening after she began recording law enforcement during a high-risk stop related to a homicide.
Katie Wright (formerly Bryant) said she was driving northbound on Highway 252 when she pulled over to observe a large police presence surrounding a car in the southbound lane. Wright admitted that she did not know the people being detained.
“I pulled over to the shoulder, I stopped to record to make sure these two young kids got home safe,” Wright said during a press conference. “We know we have a police problem in Minnesota. We know in April of last year we have a problem in Brooklyn Center.”
Wright’s son, Daunte, was fatally shot by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter in April 2021.
Wright recorded the police interaction on Facebook. The video shows one of the officers crossing the busy highway to talk to her.
“The officer grabbed my phone out of my hand, threw it on top of my car and put my hands behind my back,” Wright claimed, saying the officer hurt her wrist.
“I’m going to videotape and if you have a problem with it, I’m not doing anything against the law,” Wright says in her Facebook video.
Suspect: ‘I don’t want my face on camera’
Despite Wright’s insistence on filming the situation, body-camera video shows that the person officers were detaining did not want to be filmed.
“I don’t want to be on that camera over there. She recording over there. I don’t want my face on camera,” the person being detained tells officers in the video.
According to Brooklyn Center, once the high-risk stop was determined to be safe, that’s when one of the officers went over to speak with Wright.
“In our ongoing efforts to work with community members and create a stronger, more tolerant and inclusive community the City of Brooklyn Center is releasing BWC footage of the Wednesday, May 4, 2022 event. While assisting another agency on a high-risk stop as part of a homicide investigation, there was an encounter between Katie Wright and Brooklyn Center officers. The release of the footage is in an effort to promote public safety and dispel widespread rumor or unrest,” the city said in a statement.
Body-camera footage shows Wright refusing to give her driver’s license to the officer when asked. The officer tells Wright she is obstructing justice and will receive a ticket.
“Do you know who I am? I’m Katie Wright,” Wright responded. “You guys killed my son and if you take me to jail I will sue you.”
Wright now wants the officer to be fired.
Criminal history
Wright is currently on probation for a felony conviction for second-degree possession of over 25 grams of cocaine or meth. Charges for first-degree possession and sale of cocaine or meth and fifth-degree possession of marijuana were dismissed.
Brooklyn Center police union president Chuck Valleau said he sympathizes with the Wright family for their loss, but that “does not give them free reign to stalk, harass, or threaten any of our officers just because they are wearing a uniform.”
“I want to thank Officer Lindstrom for his professional response and restraint during the incident last night,” he said Thursday. “Our officers continue to come to work and bravely fight an impossible rise in violent crime in our city. We thank the residents of Brooklyn Center and others who continue to support us in our effort to keep Brooklyn Center safe.”
Pafoua Yang
Pafoua Yang is a reporter for Alpha News. She has worked as an on-air reporter for stations across the Twin Cities.
