Opening statements began Wednesday for the trial of Kimberly Potter, an ex-cop who killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Minnesota in April.
Wright was stopped for having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. During the stop, Potter and another officer, Anthony Luckey, learned that Wright had a warrant out for his arrest. Potter, 49, says she mistook her Taser for a gun and shot and killed 20-year-old Wright as he attempted to flee.
Wright’s mother was one of the first two witnesses to testify Wednesday. She cried on the stand and testified that her son was “an amazing dad,” and that she had just given him $50 for gas and a car wash before Potter killed him, CNN reports.
The case drew increased scrutiny, as the killing transpired in the same metro area where Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd as the Chauvin trial was underway.
WATCH: ESSENCE reports: Kim Potter charged with 2nd degree manslaughter
Wright’s killing led to several days of protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, the Minneapolis suburb where the shooting took place.
Potter has pleaded not guilty to charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted, she faces at least a decade in prison, CNN reports.