But Wright's family members and many activists say the killing of the 20-year-old Black motorist has always been about race, from the moment officers decided to pull him over, to the moment, which family members decried as giving more consideration to the white defendant than the Black victim.
in George Floyd's killing, sparked several days of demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center police station marked by tear gas and clashes between protesters and police.convicted Potter of both first- and second-degree manslaughter stoked distrust and showed how Black people are viewed in the justice system primarily as defendants rather than victims.Chu called it “one of the saddest cases” she’s seen.
“If it’s not about race, certainly she made a point to make it clear she has a high regard for public service that police officers give in our society,” Hardaway said. She said white people have long been held in higher regard in the judicial system and “we saw those realities playing out as the judge was delivering her sentence.”
Rachel Moran, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, said she can understand why the judge believes two years was appropriate; Potter is not at risk of reoffending, she will serve about 16 months of her sentence in prison and the shooting was deemed a mistake.