Kim Potter, who was identified as the police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, has resigned her position.

What You Need To Know

  • Kim Potter, the officer who shot and killed 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright, has resigned from her position

  • Police Chief Tim Gannon has also resigned in the aftermath of Wright's killing

  • Gannon said Monday that he believed Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was actually attempting to pull out her Taser

  • Wright's father said in an interview that he "can’t accept" that the officer made a mistake

In a letter to Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott and Police Chief Tim Gannon, Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, said she is stepping down "in the best interest of the community."

"I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately," she wrote.

Prior to her resignation, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott, the city's first Black mayor, said the officer should be fired, calling the shooting "deeply tragic."

"We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole," he said.

Police Chief Gannon has also resigned, according to the Mayor's office.

Gannon said Monday that he believes Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was actually attempting to pull out her Taser. Potter, who is white, can be heard on body camera video shouting “Taser! Taser!”

Wright's father told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he cannot accept that conclusion.

"I lost my son. He’s never coming back," Aubrey Wright said in an ABC News exclusive interview. "I can’t accept that. A mistake? That doesn’t even sound right. This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can’t accept that."

The tragic shooting has reverberated across the nation, with President Joe Biden weighing in Monday, and Vice President Kamala Harris speaking about Daunte Wright's killing Tuesday ahead of a meeting on Black maternal health.

"Before we get started I do want to address the killing of Daunte Wright," Vice President Harris said. "He should be alive today."

"To his family and loved ones, you must know that the president and I grieve with you as the nation grieves his loss and we stand with you," she said, adding: "Law enforcement must be held to the highest standards of accountability."

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said he was “appreciative” that Potter submitted her resignation but that he had not asked for it. Elliott said he was not sure if it was because she had heard that she would soon be fired. He said he hoped her resignation would “bring some calm to the community,” but that he would keep working towards “full accountability under the law.”

“That’s what we’re going to continue to work for,” Elliott said. “We have to make sure that justice is served, justice is done. Daunte Wright deserves that, his family deserves that.”

The mayor said the new police leadership was committed to working with community leaders and protesters, who say Wright was racially profiled.

“We’re hoping that we’re turning over a new leaf now,” he said. “I’m confident of that now.”

The city's mayor also asked for the case to be referred to the state's attorney general's office in the name of transparency and trust.

Wright was shot as police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.