The 20-year-old woman who was riding in the car with Daunte Wright when he was shot gave heartbreaking testimony on Thursday about what it was like to see her boyfriend killed by former police officer Kim Potter. Potter, in the midst of her fourth day of a criminal trial on Tuesday, was charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter after she shot Wright on Apr. 11. At the time, Potter was a Brooklyn Center police officer. She has claimed she was reaching for her Taser when she accidentally grabbed her gun instead. Wright had been pulled over in a traffic stop for expired license plate tags and an air freshener that blocked a portion of his rearview window.
Alayna Albrecht-Payton testified that she screamed, trying to get the 20-year-old Wright to respond after Potter shot him but he "wasn't answering me and he was just gasping."
Warning: Video in this story contains violent footage and details that may be triggering for some viewers.
"I grabbed whatever was in the car,” Albrecht-Payton added. “I don't remember if it was a sweater or a towel or something … and put it on his chest like you see in movies and TV shows. I didn't know what to do."
In Potter’s trial, her former supervisor Sgt. Mychal Johnson testified on Friday that officer trainee Anthony Luckey, who had stopped Wright and learned he had an active misdemeanor warrant, was trying to arrest the Black father when Johnson saw Luckey in a struggle with Wright. ohnson said he opened Wright's passenger door in an attempt to prevent Wright from driving off and held his arm, thinking Luckey or Potter would cuff Wright's other arm. Instead, Johnson heard someone say, “Taser, Taser,” and dropped Wright’s arm to avoid the Taser’s probes, the sergeant testified. Only Potter never used her Taser. Wright started to drive off, and Johnson got out of the car’s path, Johnson testified. In one part of police footage shown to the jury, jurors could hear Wright's car crash into another car and a fence after he was shot.
Albrecht-Payton testified that she remembers the “boom” of the car. “I can’t tell if it was before or after, but I just remember like, trying, trying to just get him up,” Albrecht-Payton said. “I was the only one out of everybody there, I was trying to help him. I was trying to push on his chest and call his name, and he wasn’t answering me. He was just gasping.”
Lorren Jackson, a Hennepin County medical examiner, testified on Monday that Wright lost three liters of blood, which is significant because a person his size would only have about 4.5-5.5 liters of blood in his entire body, “and when you lose half of that rapidly your position becomes critical.”
In court on Tuesday, Brooklyn Center Police Commander Garett Flesland testified that a misdemeanor warrant, such as the one Wright had, isn't serious enough to justify a pursuit.
His testimony might come into play in consideration of Blakely factors, which could lead to enhanced sentencing requiring proof that Potter’s actions endangered others. Potter said in court that she wants those factors considered after the jury's verdict. They include the fact that Wright's car hit another vehicle, which was occupied, and the accusation that Potter abused her authority.
Flesland described Potter in positive terms. "She's a good cop. She's a good person,” Flesland said. “She’s a friend. I had no concern going to calls with her.”
She also is the woman who took Albrecht-Payton’s partner from her and is accused of injuring the 20-year-old witness in the process. “I couldn’t really feel anything,” she testified. “I just remember my jaw. Like, I just remember walking and blood was just spilling from my mouth.” Albrecht-Payton sustained a concussion, a lacerated lip, stitches through her lip and in her ear, and a fractured jaw requiring wires for about six week.
She testified that after the shooting she spoke to Wright’s mother on a video call. In describing the call, Albrecht-Payton sobbed so fiercely that she was hard to understand. Jurors could, however, hear her apologizing for showing Wright’s mother his body during that call. “I’m so sorry I did that,” the young woman said.
Watch Albrecht-Payton’s full testimony:
YouTube Video
RELATED: Trial continues for cop who claims she grabbed gun instead of Taser to shoot Daunte Wright
Alayna Albrecht-Payton testified that she screamed, trying to get the 20-year-old Wright to respond after Potter shot him but he "wasn't answering me and he was just gasping."
Warning: Video in this story contains violent footage and details that may be triggering for some viewers.
"I grabbed whatever was in the car,” Albrecht-Payton added. “I don't remember if it was a sweater or a towel or something … and put it on his chest like you see in movies and TV shows. I didn't know what to do."
In Potter’s trial, her former supervisor Sgt. Mychal Johnson testified on Friday that officer trainee Anthony Luckey, who had stopped Wright and learned he had an active misdemeanor warrant, was trying to arrest the Black father when Johnson saw Luckey in a struggle with Wright. ohnson said he opened Wright's passenger door in an attempt to prevent Wright from driving off and held his arm, thinking Luckey or Potter would cuff Wright's other arm. Instead, Johnson heard someone say, “Taser, Taser,” and dropped Wright’s arm to avoid the Taser’s probes, the sergeant testified. Only Potter never used her Taser. Wright started to drive off, and Johnson got out of the car’s path, Johnson testified. In one part of police footage shown to the jury, jurors could hear Wright's car crash into another car and a fence after he was shot.
Albrecht-Payton testified that she remembers the “boom” of the car. “I can’t tell if it was before or after, but I just remember like, trying, trying to just get him up,” Albrecht-Payton said. “I was the only one out of everybody there, I was trying to help him. I was trying to push on his chest and call his name, and he wasn’t answering me. He was just gasping.”
Lorren Jackson, a Hennepin County medical examiner, testified on Monday that Wright lost three liters of blood, which is significant because a person his size would only have about 4.5-5.5 liters of blood in his entire body, “and when you lose half of that rapidly your position becomes critical.”
In court on Tuesday, Brooklyn Center Police Commander Garett Flesland testified that a misdemeanor warrant, such as the one Wright had, isn't serious enough to justify a pursuit.
His testimony might come into play in consideration of Blakely factors, which could lead to enhanced sentencing requiring proof that Potter’s actions endangered others. Potter said in court that she wants those factors considered after the jury's verdict. They include the fact that Wright's car hit another vehicle, which was occupied, and the accusation that Potter abused her authority.
Flesland described Potter in positive terms. "She's a good cop. She's a good person,” Flesland said. “She’s a friend. I had no concern going to calls with her.”
She also is the woman who took Albrecht-Payton’s partner from her and is accused of injuring the 20-year-old witness in the process. “I couldn’t really feel anything,” she testified. “I just remember my jaw. Like, I just remember walking and blood was just spilling from my mouth.” Albrecht-Payton sustained a concussion, a lacerated lip, stitches through her lip and in her ear, and a fractured jaw requiring wires for about six week.
She testified that after the shooting she spoke to Wright’s mother on a video call. In describing the call, Albrecht-Payton sobbed so fiercely that she was hard to understand. Jurors could, however, hear her apologizing for showing Wright’s mother his body during that call. “I’m so sorry I did that,” the young woman said.
Watch Albrecht-Payton’s full testimony:
YouTube Video
RELATED: Trial continues for cop who claims she grabbed gun instead of Taser to shoot Daunte Wright