Social Media Reaction Swift, Defiant in Latest Minnesota Police Shooting

(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. )  —The Twin Cities have been a powderkeg since the start of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd last year.

Then Sunday, another young Black man was gunned down by police and on Monday, Brooklyn Center Chief Tim Gannon told the media and the public that the shooting was ‘accidental’, that the officer thought she had grabbed her taser and not her gun.

Breaking News: The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, at a traffic stop did so accidentally, and meant to fire a Taser instead, the police chief said. https://t.co/fPreyUfMxP

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 12, 2021

Social media wasn’t buying it.

THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.
THIS IS POLICE PROPAGANDA.

No outlet should report this. pic.twitter.com/HO50sJbqYW

— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) April 12, 2021

Shortly after that announcement, the officer who fired that fatal shot into Wright’s chest was identified as a 26-year veteran of the force.

The BCA just ID’ed the officer involved in the #BrooklynCenter shooting as Kim Potter, a more than 25-year veteran of the department. #DaunteWright pic.twitter.com/S9YdWnQbfK

— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) April 13, 2021

And while social media reaction was pouring in at a rate almost too fast to collate, news outlets like the New York Times were attempting to provide perspective, while President Biden empathized with Wright’s family and called for unity.

While not common, officers have mistaken pistols for Tasers — as the police in a Minneapolis suburb said happened on Sunday when an officer shot and killed Daunte Wright — sometimes with deadly outcomes. https://t.co/eGyNo15jkZ

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 13, 2021

Today I’m thinking about Daunte Wright and his family — and the pain, anger, and trauma that Black America experiences every day. While we await a full investigation, we know what we need to do to move forward: rebuild trust and ensure accountability so no one is above the law.

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 12, 2021

The social media audience was also trying to provide balance and, in many cases, quickly clapped back.

I have obtained a copy of the outstanding warrant for Daunte Wright. He failed to appear in court last week after being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and fleeing a peace officer. pic.twitter.com/k1wnD0ICiJ

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 12, 2021

1) Not punishable by death
2) Not punishable by death
3) Not punishable by death
Nice try though anonymous troll account. 🙄 https://t.co/dlCKo0nev2

— Lou (@ImmortalLou30) April 13, 2021

Late in the day Monday, with violence expected, authorities instituted a curfew, and all professional sports in the Twin Cities were called off. That didn’t stop Black celebrities and athletes from giving their thoughts.

Perhaps the most scathing was from former NFL receiver Doug Baldwin Jr., whose father was a police officer for more than three decades.

If you don’t know the difference between a taser and a gun in your hand then you should not be a police officer.

— Doug Baldwin Jr 🌹 (@DougBaldwinJr) April 12, 2021

Bernice King, a minister and the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., shared a sign capturing her thoughts and wrote, “My heart goes out to Daunte Wright’s mother. I mourn that she’ll never see her son again…that his name is now a hashtag.”

pic.twitter.com/quxTAFtaJf

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 12, 2021