The defense attorney for former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter plans to argue that her shooting of Daunte Wright was an accident.  

Potter, a police veteran with more than 25 years of service with the force, shot and killed 20-year-old Wright during a traffic stop in April. Police pulled the young Black father over for air fresheners hanging from his rearview window.  

Potter pulled out her gun during a scuffle, shooting Wright in the chest, alleging she meant to grab her Taser instead. Former Police Chief Tim Gannon released the body camera footage of the shooting after the incident and supported the claim it may have been an accident.  

RELATED: Family, Mourners Gather in Minneapolis for Funeral of Daunte Wright 

“As I watched the video and listened to the officer’s command, 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.” 

Following the public fallout, both Potter and Gannon resigned from their positions with the department, BNC reported. Days later, Potter was arrested by officers with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.  

According to Star Tribune, Potter’s attorneys do not dispute the fact she killed Wright, but as jury selection approaches, they plan to show Potter’s lack of intent. The attorneys say her grave miscalculation should not result in a prison sentence.  

RELATED: Former Officer Who Killed Daunte Wright Faces New Charge Ahead of Trial  

“Officer Potter’s regret is abundantly clear on the body camera videos and will be with her the rest of her life,” Paul Engh, her attorney, said. “But hers was an innocent mistake. An accident is not a crime.”  

The veteran officer said the shooting has ruined her. “I’m a good person, and I valued him in life,” Potter said. “The aftermath of that day has destroyed me. I pray for him every day. I pray for the Wright family every day.”  

District Judge Regina Chu has reversed her decision banning cameras from the courtroom, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to KSTP.  

RELATED: Officer Who Killed Daunte Wright Jr. Seeking to Block Cameras From Trial  

The trial is scheduled to take place at the Hennepin County Courthouse on Nov. 30.  

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.