Retired police Lt. says Kim Potter manslaughter verdict is going to have ‘chilling effect’ on US

A retired New Jersey police lieutenant slammed the guilty verdict reached by jurors in the manslaughter trial of Minneapolis cop Kim Potter Thursday, saying it would have a ‘chilling effect’ on police officers across the nation.

‘I’ve got to tell you just about everyone I’ve spoken to in and out of law enforcement agreed that this was an accident,’ Steve Rodgers, a former lieutenant of the Nutley, New Jersey Police Department and agent of the FBI National Joint Terrorism Task Force for the US Navy, declared in an interview with conservative news outlet Newsmax Thursday following the verdict. 

Potter, 49, a white suburban mom-of-two who served in her city’s police department for more than two decades, was found guilty of first and second degree manslaughter for shooting 20-year-old black motorist Wright on April 11 during a traffic stop after allegedly mistaking her gun for a taser. 

‘She demonstrated that she had no intent on using her firearm. And I must tell you, that this verdict is going to leave a chilling effect on every cop across this country.’ Roger said during the televised interview.     

‘You’re going to have to wait until they used deadly force upon you and then do what you must do.’ 

Officer Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran in the force, claimed she accidentally shot Daunte Wright (right) when she reached for her gun instead of her taser during a traffic stop over his expired plates in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 11

‘But I’ve got to tell you,’ Rogers, who boasts a 38-year career in law enforcement, added, ‘My gut feeling says that there may have been a lot of politics involved with regard to what was on the mind of the jury. He said he believed the heavy publicity the verdict has received would lead to a similar ‘chilling effect’ across the US.  

Rogers then offered his perception on claims presented by the prosecution during court proceedings that Potter’s actions, while not malicious, were reckless and dangerous, and offered his opinion on why the disgraced cop’s legal team opted to put her on the stand to testify – a move that many saw as ill-advised.

‘Yes it was a good idea,’ Rogers said of the attorneys’ decision to put Potter on the stand. 

‘They put her on the stand because they were able to humanize her as the prosecutor is trying to dehumanize her. 

‘We must keep in mind that the act of Kim Potter was in seconds, maybe two or three seconds. There was no intent. She demonstrated that she was remorseful. I’ve got to tell you, the prosecutor went a little bit too far on trying to make him potter looked like an evil evil person.

Potter was found guilty of both manslaughter count on Thursday for shooting 20-year-old black motorist Daunte Wright dead during a botched traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 11

Potter remained impassive between her attorneys and did not react throughout reading of the verdict or the news that she would be taken into custody

Rogers then spoke on how the outcome of case offers a grim future for those working in law enforcement.

‘I’ll tell you a lot of cases don’t bother me. This bothers me because I can see what’s going to happen with regard to the effect this is going to have on cops across the country. 

‘She has a clean police record. She was a fine officer – and it really bothers me.   

‘I mean, you take also into account the protests during 2020 the rhetoric against the police. The protests that we saw against social equality. I mean, there were historic resignations there. It’s hard to do your job.’ He was referring to the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin in May 2020, which led calls to defund the police across the US, and a subsequent spike in violent crime.  

The ex-cop then spoke on the repercussions that he says Potter’s guilty verdict will inevitably incur, offering a grim outlook for those thinking of a career in law enforcement.

The former police officer, 49, reacts after being convicted of both manslaughter charges, which carry a 15 and 10 year maximum sentence, respectively

‘Well I could tell you a few things one,’ Rogers said. ‘You might not see a lot of willingness to sign up and serve. You’ll see a lot of retirements. 

‘But even more profoundly, you could you could kiss proactive policing methodologies out the window. 

‘We were trained to go out and investigate quality of life issues, arrest those who were committing minor crimes so they would not be bigger crimes. 

‘This all started over a motor vehicle stop, and it ended up being an officer being found guilty of manslaughter. Is it worth it? Cops are thinking about that right now. Is it worth it to pull over a motor vehicle to stop someone for a low level crime? You can end up losing your job and, in fact, end up losing your life.’ 

Others weighed in on the controversial conviction Thursday as well, including Fox News’ Judge Jeanine Pirro, who said that she was similarly ‘stunned’ by the jury’s conviction. 

‘I must tell you, I was stunned at the verdict,’ Pirro said on Thursday’s airing of The Story with Martha MacCallum. 

‘It is a kind of verdict that, you know, none of us really expected, especially the top count of manslaughter in the first degree,’ the TV jurist continued. 

‘This woman clearly didn’t intend to cause any harm to Daunte Wright. But we know what the law is, and the law talks about recklessness and culpable negligence. She was negligent. There’s no question about it.’ 

The Law of Self Defense lawyer Andrew Branca, who says he has followed every moment of the trial, also criticized the conviction, said that ‘every cop is sending out their resume right now’ in a lawyer-laden livestream immediately after the verdict.

Also on the stream,  Defense attorney Robert Barnes shook his head in disgust after the verdict was read, declaring it ‘a ridiculous verdict.’

‘You’re nuts if you stay a cop in the Twin Cities.’

Meanwhile, former NYPD officer and current civil rights attorney Peter Gleason offered a more subtle criticism of the decision.  

‘I think we’re getting to a phase in our existence where this is an increased accountability for the actions of law enforcement.

‘With this situation warrants is, it’s an invitation to overhaul the way we do policing in America. It’s getting to the point whether put in terms of sending a trucker for having an accident for 110 years or convicting a police officer who without any malice made a deadly mistake  

‘We need to reexamine both are criminal justice and legal departments.’