Police Chief: This Appears To Me From What I Viewed Shooting Was An Accidental Discharge

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police shared a police body cam video of the encounter between officers and 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Sunday.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said at a press conference that he believed the officer accidentally pulled their gun instead of a taser.

“As I watch this video and listen to the officer’s 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 said. “This appears to me, from what I viewed, and the officer’s reaction in distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge, that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”

Gannon said that officers are trained to carry handguns on their “dominant side,” and tasers on their “weak side.”

The video shows police handcuffing Wright, who then tries to re-enter his car. The officer can be heard shouting “taser” several times, while taking out a gun and shooting Wright. “Oh sh*t, I just shot him,” the officer can be heard saying immediately afterwards.