Minnesota Gov. Walz asked to to reassign Daunte Wright case to AG Keith Ellison's office
Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter resigned after the traffic stop that left 20-year-old Daunte Wright dead
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The mayor of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has called on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to have state prosecutors take over the investigation into the police-involved death of Daunte Wright.
Wright, 20, was shot and killed after resisting arrest and trying to drive away as officers struggled to hold him following a traffic stop in an incident caught on bodycam video.
Mayor Mike Elliott said he would ask for Walz to have state Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office take over the investigation during a news briefing Tuesday afternoon. He repeated the request on Twitter, arguing it would ensure transparency to have the case handled by state authorities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington County Attorney Pete Orput is currently handling the case, even though it happened in Hennepin County, because of a state law involving jurisdiction of police-involved shooting cases.
The officer who shot Wright, Kim Potter, can be heard exclaiming in shock after the shooting in bodycam footage. The 26-year police veteran thought she was holding a Taser when she discharged her handgun, according to authorities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She has resigned earlier Tuesday, along with Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon. Officials also fired former city manager Curt Boganey, who had authority over the police department, after he said "all employees working for the city of Brooklyn Center are entitled to due process," in response to Elliott calling for Potter’s firing earlier this week.
Gannon had made the decision earlier this week to release the bodycam video, against the advice of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It shows Wright getting back into his car after police try to handcuff him, then driving off after being shot. He was initially pulled over for having expired license plates, and police realized he had an outstanding warrant for allegedly skipping out on a court date in connection with a prior firearms charge and for fleeing officers on another occasion.
The mayor of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has called on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, pictured, to have state prosecutors take over the investigation into the police-involved death of Daunte Wright. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP, File)
Mayor Elliott appointed Tony Gruenig, a 19-year department veteran, as acting chief of police, following Gannon's resignation. Another commander was appointed to assist the acting chief with the ongoing unrest in the city, a suburb of Minneapolis, where former police officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for the May 25 death of George Floyd.
Separately, investigators told FOX 9 that Washington County Attorney's Office prosecutors could make a charging decision on Potter as early as Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wright’s death led to two nights of protests and riots, with dozens of arrests made Monday alone.
Elliott urged demonstrators to act peacefully and to "please go home" before the city's curfew Tuesday night.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.