kim potter is in charge. don't use a human being whose life is gone now to train officers on the job. should have been handled better and has to be consequences. one quick point on jonathan turley's point. i love him to death but i disagree on the criminal versus civil. when you see police officers in civil court, they're guaranteed qualified immunity. in this civil case against kim potter, she might get off on qualified immunity. so if you want to change the criminal laws to civil, you better start changing and removing the qualify immunity civil protections as well. police officers are not usually held accountable in civil court. >> gillian: we have to leave it there. thanks for taking time this afternoon. we appreciate it. >> you bet. thanks. >> gillian: we're going to continue monitoring this breaking situation out of minnesota. the white house is going to speak. the president will speak soon. we're anticipating perhaps a reaction to the jury's decision. the president is going to weigh-in after being pres

potter when she was on the stand last week?rather now answer that question. >> the tremendous details, what do i think? i'm going to keep it short. >> mr. ellison, did you expect former officer potter to take the stand? do you think that helped or hurt year case? >> they said from the beginning she was going to testify. they said in jury selection, and she had -- she expressed herself immediately after this tragic incident on the sandy. now too surprised. look, i think it is a good sign that she -- she was remorseful. i mean, what decent person wouldn't be brokenhearted and sad if they were involved in something like this. so i wish nothing but the best for her and her family, but the truth is, she will be able to correspond with them and visit with them, no matter what happens, but the wrights won't be able to talk to daunte. >> reporter: two high-profile jury verdicts in this year. what do you think that says about police accountability? >> i think the juries admire police, they respect them, and they want to make sure that h

would miss potter please rise?ty. in the matter of state of minnesota versus kimberly potter, court file number 27cr21.7490, we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, while committing a misdemeanor, on or about april 11th, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, signed the defendant guilty. the verdict was agreed to back at the hour of 11:40 a.m. and signed by the jury person on 11/23/21. we, the jury, on the charge of manslaughter in the second degree, culpable negligence on or about april 11th, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. that verdict was agreed to at 10:30 a.m. on 12/21/21. members of the jury, is this you are true and correct verdict, so say you one and so say you all? >> yes. >> i am now going to poll the jury. juror number two, is this your true and correct verdict? >> yes. >> juror number six, is this your true and correct verdict? >> yes, it is. >> juror number seven, is this you are true and correct verdict? >> yes, it is. >> juror num

potter please rise.ead your verdicts as it will appear in the permanent court records of hennepin county. in the matter of state of minnesota vs. kimberly potter, court file number 27-cr-217490, we, the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree while committing a misdemeanor on or about april 11, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. and the verdict was agreed to at the hour of 11:40 a.m. and signed by the jury person. on 12/23/21. the verdict on count two is we, the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the second degree, culpable negligence on or about april 11, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. and that verdict was agreed to at 10:30 a.m. on 12/21/21. members of the jury, is this your true and correct verdict, so say you one and so say you all? >> yes. >> yes. >> yes. >> okay, you may be seated. all right. i am now going to poll the jury. juror number two, is this your true and correct verdict? >> it is. >> juror nu

former police officer kim potter found guilty. a jury today convicting potter of both first and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of daunte wright, a 20-year-o 20-year-old, in a traffic stop. potter showed little emotion. a stark contrast to her time on the stand. she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. potter taken into custody and held without bail. what daunte wright's family is saying tonight. >>> also developing tonight, the busiest travel day of the year, as rain and snowstorms sweep the country, creating dangerous driving conditions. in wisconsin, a crash involving dozens of cars and trucks. vehicles overturned, sparking massive flames. at least 20 people hurt. in california, tv crew captures the moment a car spins out into a ditch. the flooding in the west completely submerging cars with people inside. some areas becoming too dangerous for rescue efforts. and in airports tonight, millions lining up under strict covid protocols. ami amid the rush, this remarkable image. a tsa agent leaping over th

potter please rise.oing to read your verdicts as it will appear in the permanent court record of hennepin county. in the matter of state of minnesota versus kimberly potter court file number 27 cr 217490, we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, while committing a misdemeanor on our about april 11, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. and the verdict was agreed to at the hour of 11:40 a.m. and signed by the jury person on 12/23/21. the verdict on count 2 is, we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the second degree, culpable negligence, on or about april 11, 2021, in hennepin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. and that verdict was agreed to at 10:30 a.m. on 12/21/21. members of the jury, is this your true and correct verdict, so say you one and so say you all? >> yes. >> okay, you may be seated. i am now going to poll the jury. juror number 2, is this your true and correct verdict? >> it is. >> juror number 6, is this your

. >> kim potter, she understands use of force as a 26-year veteran.f is on video saying "i'm going to prison, i should die," it's going to be very interesting to see how the defense tries to flip that to say, this was an accident. >> reporter: prosecutors pushed back calling potter's use of deadly force reckless. the differences between a gun and a taser were also on display for jurors. the prosecution raising questions about how potter could confuse her gear. >> the taser is yellow, the firearm is black. the taser has a stocky body to it compared to the glock handgun. the grip of the taser is shorter. >> reporter: the defense countering that despite those differences, there are some similarities between the two weapons. >> it's designed so that you pull a trigger, like a gun, right? >> they both have triggers, yes. >> it's designed so you aim at somebody, right? >> yes. >> how likely is it for police officers to make a mistake like this? >> i think it's highly unlikely that a person would grab their gun when they mean to grab their taser. part of her

potter today.om being an esteemed member of the community and a noble profession to be convicted of a serious crime. i don't wish that on anyone. but it was our responsibility as the prosecution, as ministers of justice, to pursue justice wherever it led and the jury found the facts. my thoughts are also with those who work in law enforcement and public safety. we hold you in high regard, and we also hold you to high standards. we don't want you to be discouraged. your community respects and appreciates you. we want you to uphold the highest ideals of our society and ideals of safety. when a member of your profession is held accountable, it does not diminish you. in fact, it shows. it shows the whole world that those of you who enforce the law are also willing to live by it. and that's a good thing. it restores trust, faith and hope. well, in the words of daniel sared, daniel sared is a noted author who writes on matters of justice. all parties come together in a way that is for the greater good. t

potter taken into custody and held without bail. what daunte wright's family is saying tonight. >>> also developing tonight, the busiest travel day of the year, as rain and snowstorms sweep the country, creating dangerous driving conditions. in wisconsin, a crash involving dozens of cars and trucks. vehicles overturned, sparking massive flames. at least 20 people hurt. in california, tv crew captures the moment a car spins out into a ditch. and in airports tonight, millions lining up under strict covid protocols. amid the rush, this remarkable image. a tsa agent leaping over the checkpoint conveyor belt to save a baby who had stopped breathing. >>> the urgent race to get covid tests before christmas. long lines stretching for blocks and supplies dwindling. david muir pressing the president. >> is that good enough? >> no, nothing's been good enough. >> the omicron variant now driving cases past delta's peak. infections more than doubling in just three weeks. but tonight, a new weapon in the fight against covid. the fda approving a se

and kim potter, there doesn't seem to be any dispute. kim potter didn't intend to pull her firearm. that's why david is right in that the prosecution has a real challenge here. this is a case that they've taken all the way to trial. and the prosecution really doesn't have an argument now in closing to be able to tell the jury that when you see that word consciously in both jury instructions for manslaughter, and she has to consciously create this risk, jury, we're asking you to believe that she consciously created the risk when she consciously pulled her firearm instead of her taser. that doesn't make sense. and so the defense is going to seize upon that. they have the law on their side. you can say that what kim potter did was glaktically stupid. you can say that it was morally culpable, and there is a dialogue to be had about that. but when it comes to the law as it exists in minnesota, this defendant needed consciously create that risk, and i'm sorry i've said conscious for about the 11th time, but it's the only thing this trial is about. all the facts are not in dispute. >> that

kim potter gets emotional. we saw that again today when the defense and the prosecution was going through those events and showing the video. she mentioned she's been going through therapy since that shooting in april. one thing that is important from the prosecution's cross-examination, is they are trying to lay the foundation for this idea of her being culpably negligent. laying out the thousands of hours in training over 26 years pointing out the specific training in the manual regarding a firearm versus a taser. pointing out the brooklyn center police department their policy is officers need to practice taser draws to avoid what happened back in april. potter said that may be the policy, but in practice that doesn't always happen. the prosecution laying the ground work for the argument that she had the experience. she should have had the training. she should have known better. the policies were in place to prevent this but she did not follow-through on doing that. she is clearly very emotional going through

they found kimberley potter guilty _ guilty. they found kimberley potter guilty of _ guilty.tter guilty of two - guilty. they found kimberley potter guilty of two charges l guilty. they found kimberley l potter guilty of two charges of manslaughter. cheering to the delight of demonstrators outside the court, many of whom feel such verdicts also speak for the many others, african—americans in particular, who have suffered racism and brutality at the hands of the police. i kind let out a yelp. it was built up, in the anticipation of what was to come, while we were awaiting the last few days. now, we've been able to process it. fix, days. now, we've been able to process it— process it. a request by kimberley _ process it. a request by kimberley potter's - process it. a request by i kimberley potter's lawyers process it. a request by - kimberley potter's lawyers for her to be granted bail over christmas was denied by the judge. she's due to be sentenced in february, and faces the possibility of up to 15 years behind bars. the former south korean president park guen—hye, who was ja

the defense rested in the trial of former police officer kim potter.you. >> thank you. >>> top of the hour here in the cnn newsroom, i'm eshrica hill. today a top health expert is warning the united states is about to face a, quote, viral blizzard. that warning comes as the omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the country. ow

the other one they plan to call today, kim potter.ld happen at any moment now. shaquille brewster is following that trial from outside the courthouse. i want to bring in a legal analyst and civil rights attorney and former prosecutor. shaq, let me start with you. again, court right now in recess. how soon could we expect to see potter on the stand? and what have we heard from the defense so far this morning? >> reporter: well, it's possible, craig, possible that potter will be on the stand in about 20 minutes when court resumes. we know the defense said that plan to call two witnesses today and they processed through the first witness. we'll keep an eye on whether potter is the first witness to be called. the first witness was a psychologist who the defense brought up to help explain what they say happened when potter yelled taser, taser, taser and fired a gunshot into the heart of donte wright. he's explaining essentially it being tunnel vision. using terms like action error and slip and capture and teaching the jury about those term

unlike chauvin, potter is expected to testify on her own behalf.ah. >> david schumann, thank. >>> okay coming up next. a father and daughter it t when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of god, in due time he will exalt you. hi, i'm joel osteen. i'm excited about being with you every week. i hope you'll tune in. you'll be inspired, you'll be encouraged. i'm looking forward to seeing you right here. you are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that's been designed for you. >>> tonight, we have the incredible story of a family on a mission to help people whose homes here in california were wiped out by wildfires. here's cbs's jamie lax. >> reporter: this father-daughter duo from denver is road tripping to california. woody and his 9-year-old daughter luna are on a mission to help those left homeless by the state's deadly wild fires. >> we are really in the home stretch. >> reporter: they have personally delivered about 20 rvs, mostly to first responders, veterans, and firefighters, like don george. this year, as he was saving the

unlike chauvin, potter is expected to testify in her open behalf. david shuman, cbs news, minneapolis. >>> former trump white house chief of staff mark meadows is suing the house panel investigating the january 6th attack on the u.s. capitol. he's asking a judge to invalidate two subpoenas alleging the committee is overreaching for his cell phone records. lawmakers plan to move forward, though, with contempt charges against meadows who did not show up for a scheduled deposition yesterday. >>> a father and son are now in jail for allegedly starting the 15th largest wildfire in california history. authorities in northern california arrested david scott smith and his son travis shane smith yesterday. they are accused of reckless arson. they are each being held on $1 million bail. the caldor fire forced tens of thousands to evacuate the lake tahoe area this summer. it burned more than 220,000 acres, and more than 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed. >>> coming up now, revisiting history. hillary clinton reads from her victory speech that she would

potter said when it came chaotic, she mistook her gun for taser.ent. the court had to take a break. potter became very emotional describing the moments that led up to that fatal shooting. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, lindsey. she did get very emotional during several points throughout her testimony yesterday. as she described those fateful moments back in april when she thought and killed daunte wright during that traffic stop. now, during her testimony, she described how she was training a new officer, it was that officer, she said that wanted to pull over wright's vehicle for those minor violations being a tag violation and air freshener violation. potter also testified had she been alone, she probably would not have pulled over daunte wright's vehicle. she also then went on to talk about the chain of events that led up to that moment that went terribly wrong. take a listen. >> we were struggling -- we were trying to keep him from driving away. it just -- it just went chaotic. and then, i mean, i remember yelling taser, taser, taser. a

in potter's case, potter absolutely had to testify. she's a police officer who shot somebody.ou to understand kind of what the perspective is for her, she had to testify. and then in terms of maxwell, she would have been roasted on the witness stand if she had gotten up there. her lawyers made absolutely the right choice because in that case, the question is maxwell a predator or a victim, right? is she the girlfriend and the wing woman for that monster epstein? so is she mrs. monster, or is she just a victim too? so she absolutely made the right call. the lawyers totally made the right call in the maxwell case by her not testifying, and the other two they had to testify to have any shot at a jury finding them not guilty. >> i guess it remains to be seen if the juries actually think they made the right call by virtue if they get acquitted or not, great call if there's an acquittal, miscalculation if there's not. i want to talk about potter in this case because here's a part of her cross examination. listen to this. >> you didn't make sure any officers knew what you had just do

then she showed a picture of kim potter holding the gun. so there was time that was lapsed between holding the gun and shooting the gun. that is powerful. that establishes i think that potter knew that she had a gun in her hand. i think that does potentially rise to cupable negligence. >> martha: she at one point, you know your left from your right, right? to kim potter. she said yes. i have to go but i want one more quick answer. she said she never fired her gun before or never fired her taser before. quick thought before we head out. >> all that is irrelevant to what she did on that given day, what she knew at that time, what threat did she see and what actions did she take. it's what happened that day is going to be the determinating factor. the jury -- if this is a case on fact, the jury will deal with this case and we don't know what the outcome will be. >> martha: complicated and complex to be sure, a lot of emotion on that stand today from kim potter. we've seen a lot of emotion through this course of this trial from duante wright's

the prosecution shifting away from the right potter may have had to use deadly force, saying potter's actions endangered those around her. testimony resumes on monday. david? >> stephanie ramos tonight. stephanie, thank you. >>> now to that supreme court decision allowing that new texas abortion law, a near ban on abortions in that state to remain in place, but also allowing a narrow path for abortion providers to challenge it. and tonight, the warning to the court from chief justice john roberts. terry moran has covered the court for years for us. >> reporter: today's ruling by the five most conservative justices on the court, the texas law known as sb-8, which has effectively banned almost all abortions in the state for 101 days, can remain in effect for now. sb-8 empowers private citizens, not government officials, to enforce the abortion ban by bringing private lawsuits. justice neil gorsuch, in an opinion for the court, declaring that courts cannot simply order all private citizens not to file those suits. and so the supreme court does not have the power to strike sb-8 down. one

the guilty verdicts in the trial of former police officer kim potter. we'll go to minneapolis tonight. potter has now been convicted on two counts of manslaughter in the shooting death of daunte wright. >> reporter: wolf, yes. when that guilty verdict was read, little emotion from the former brooklyn center police officer. after spending 26 years protecting and serving, she now will spend time behind bars. >> we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: former brooklyn center police officer kimberly potter guilty on both counts of manslaughter tonight in minnesota. >> find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: potter said she meant to shoot her taser during a traffic stop in april but fired her gun instead killing 20-year-old daunte wright almost instantly. >> i shot him! oh, my god! >> reporter: shortly after the verdict, crowds outside the courthouse chanted wright's name. while the state pushed to reassure potter's police family. >> when a member of your profession is held accountable it does not

potter being certified again in 2015? a score of 50 out of 50 on this. >> reporter: the jury seeing for the first time on monday a clear shot of the actual gun used by potter and the taser she thought she pulled from her left side. >> when i refer to a reaction hand draw, the taser would be oriented so the handle is aft, not forward, and you would use your reaction hand to draup the taser that way. >> reporter: the commander showing how officers should correctly draw their weapon. >> using my dominant hand to draw across my body. >> reporter: and once again, the prosecution's witness justifying potter's right to use deadly force during cross-examination. >> and he is ignoring the warnings, taser, taser. i'm going to tase you. you have a right to use deadly force to save that cop, that police officer that's lying over the seat, correct? >> potentially, yes, but i wasn't there. >> if you're dragged down the street by this driver, if he gets away, that man's going to be seriously injured or dead. >> i think it would be sever

potter fired. >> i shot him! oh, my god. >> reporter: prosecutors arguing potter acted recklessly and negligently regardless of her intent, pressing her about her training in taser use. whether she should have known the difference between her taser, holstered on her left, and her gun, holstered on her right. >> we weren't always drawing our tasers from our holsters. a lot of times we were in plain clothes during training. >> okay, well, your policy that you're required to abide by, that you signed off on, requires that you perform reaction hand draws, true? >> during the training, yes. >> it also includes the reason for that, right? >> yes. >> and that's so that you reduce the possibility of accidentally drawing and firing a firearm, right? >> yes. >> reporter: potter, seen here after the shooting, inconsolable. the body camera footage previously shown to jurors. today she broke down again when grilled by the prosecution. >> you stopped doing your job completely. you didn't communicate what happened over the radi

potter testified she had mistaken her gun for her taser.ormer officer led away from the courtroom in handcuffs. the reaction from wright's family and how long potter could spend behind bars. >>> also tonight the fda approving a second pill to treat covid as omicron rages across the country. new york city scaling back its new year's eve celebration in times square and a new u.k. study on omicron what it found about the risk of hospitalization. >>> the holiday travel rush two days before christmas. over 100 million on the roads. air travel now topping pre-pandemic levels. and the hero tsa agent leaping into action to save a baby's life. >>> the deadly winter storm on the move. flooding and up to nine feet of snow. we're tracking it. >>> former president trump taking his fight with the january 6th committee all the way to the supreme court >>> vladimir putin taking new aim at the u.s. and what he said about the possibility of war with ukraine. >>> and celebrating one of america's all-time greatest authors. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with l

. >>> also tonight, former police officer kim potter breaking down in tears, testifying in her own defense, telling the jury she mistook her gun for her taser when she fatality shot daunte wright. why she said she's sorry on the stand. >>> the toughest sentence yesterday on the capitol riot how long the man who attacked police with a fire extinguish er will spend behind bars. >>> schools on edge nationwide over threats of violence on tiktok what authorities are saying and how officials are taking action. >>> tiger woods returning to competitive golf less than 10 months after his crash with his son by his side. >>> and the brave four-year-old girl traveling halfway across the world her life saving journey to the u.s. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening the last thing any of us wants is to revisit 2020 that was one rough road but the comparisons are inescapable tonight in pockets of this country covid sidelining more and more people as it did last december when vaccinations were just beginning. new york city with over 10,000 new cases reported today in several m

kimberly potter's case was much different. i think that it is true that the bigger picture here shows that jurors are willing to hold police officers accountable even in the context where it was a mistake. >> yes, notable. sergeant dorsey, i wonder, in your experience are police departments or police commanders around the country looking at the results not just of this case but the derek chauvin case, again, very different circumstances but two cases where juries held police officers criminally responsible, in ways that juries always, haven't always have. do you see police departments looking at this watching and listening? >> this should certainly give them pause. but whenever there is an incident, you know, police departments typically -- i mean what we do is debrief. this trial is no different. you want to look at what the officers could do differently going forward. what do we need to do in terms of changing policy and procedures so we don't have another incident like this. while i am surprised, i thought the jury was goin

kim potter is facing up to 15 years in prison. prosecutors have said that they're pushing for a sentence close to that 15-year maximum. neil? >> neil: garrett tenney, thanks very much. so what are we looking at with that sentencing? it could be right now up to 15 years. let's go to the former fell prosecutor, tom dupree, the former deputy assistant general. tom, let's begin with you on what you think an appropriate sentence or one ultimately that will be handed down here. >> neil, i'd be surprised if the judge went up to 15 years. i know they're going to puch for sentence enhancements. when you look at the totality of the facts here, the nature of the trial, the nature of the charges, i'd be very surprised if the judge went all out and imposed anything close to the maximum. i think it will be less. >> neil: katie, how do you think the defense handled this case? >> well, the defense handled the case with the facts that they had. as we know, in criminal law as a defendant, anything you say can and will be used against you. in this c

joining me, claire bond potter. professor potter, thank you very much for being here.cular getting the slate of judges through is so important. >> thanks for having me, jonathan. it's important in part because joe biden promised that he would govern to an america that was diverse. he's had a lot of trouble getting legislation through but getting 40 judges through that are so diverse, not only really keeps that promise to make the judiciary as diverse as america is but it also ensures that as legislation is challenged, as various aspects of our democratic process are challenged, there will be people in place to make sure that the constitution is upheld. >> so this is great news and i read the news and i thought, okay, this is really good. but he still has three more years and he still has a recalcitrant republican opposition. how concerned are you that the pace of the first year is going to slow down significantly for the rest of his term? >> well, i'm very concerned about it because it only takes one senator from a state to actually stop a nomination from going through

potter testified she had mistaken her gun for her taser. the former officer led away from the courtroom in handcuffs. the reaction from wright's family and how long potter could spend behind bars. >>> also tonight the fda approving a second pill to treat covid as omicron rages across the country. new york city scaling back its new year's eve celebration in times square. and a new u.k. study on omicron. what it found about the risk of hospitalization. >>> the holiday travel rush two days before christmas. over 100 million on the roads. air travel now topping pre-pandemic levels. and the hero tsa agent leaping into action to save a baby's life. >>> the deadly winter storm on the move. flooding and up to nine feet of snow. we're tracking it. >>> former president trump taking his fight with the january 6th committee all the way to the supreme court. >>> vladimir putin taking new aim at the u.s. and what he said about the possibility of war with ukraine. >>> and celebrating one of america's all-time greatest authors. >>> this is nbc "nightly new

potter.hter in the killing of 20-year-old daunte wright during a traffic stop earlier this year. potter has insisted she meant to draw her taser and not her gun on the day she shot wright. in today's closing arguments, the prosecution tried to convince jurors her mistake, though, was criminal. >> it's not just a tragedy. it's manslaughter. that she was an officer does not make it okay. that she was on duty does not make it okay. that she shot him with her service pistol does not make it okay. her actions were rash and reckless and what she did was wrong. >> while potter's defense argued if not for the actions of daunte wright, kim potter would have never reached for any weapon. >> that's what caused this whole incident. if he would have gone with the officers, been handcuffed, go to the squad car, go take a ride downtown, and it's over. everything after that, the officers did, they did to try and restrain him, try and stop him from leaving. >> joining me now is nbc news correspondent shaquill

>> reporter: the state pushed back trying to show potter's actions were reckless.laughter conviction. >> could officer potter in using a firearm have shot you? >> possible. >> reporter: the defense quick to step in again. >> objection is sustained. >> when you use deadly force, you have to consider surroundings. >> yes. >> and when you -- >> reporter: and again. so far the prosecution has called 14 witnesses. >> all i heard. >> reporter: including painful testimony from wright's mother. >> it was the worst day of my life. >> reporter: and the woman wright was dating who was in the passenger's seat when wright was shot. >> just tried to scream his name. >> reporter: she tearfully recalled his final moments. >> i just remember trying to just get him up. trying to push on his chest and call his name. and he wasn't answering me. he was just gasping, just take breaths of air. >> reporter: on friday, johnson was one of three people who testified at the time of his shooting he was potter's supervisor, but he's no longer with the brooklyn center police department. on frida

kim potter when — and he told me i shot him. kim potter when she _ and he told me i shot him.g that verdict and she was facing two manslaughter charges for his death and as he heard the defence had said she had she was trying to tackle someone who is resisting arrest and she had mistook her taser and her gun there at the prosecution said this is something that was just beyond an honest mistake and this was something much more serious than that and theyjerry and the case against her and finding guilty of both charges and just on the sentencing which as you mentioned we should be getting in the next three weeks and in terms of the guidelines that the state gives on that is just over seven years in prison if you're convicted of first—degree manslaughter which he has been in for years for second degree and the prosecutors have said they plan to push for a much longer sentence. thank you for being here with us as the breaking years was taking place. kim potter has been found guilty on both of those kinds of manslaughter. he will continue to monitor this story and our website as wel

a former minnesota police officer, kim potter, is behind bars. found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter in the death of daunte wright. the jury determining that she committed a reckless and criminal act when she mistook her gun for her taser while trying to take wright into custody in april. they came to that decision after more than 27 hours of deliberation over four days, an excruciating wait for the family of daunte wright. >> every single emotion that you could imagine just running through your body at that moment. i kind of let out a yelp because it was built up in the anticipation of what was to come while we were waiting for the last few days. and now we've been able to process it. >> that is daunte wright's mother, and she's joining us in a moment. but first, adrienne broadus is out front for us in minneapolis. what has the scene been outside the courthouse after this? >> reporter: kate, as the verdict was read, an explosive applause from people on the lawn of the courthouse. some of them traveling from arkansas and the caroli

one of potter's attorneys says potter plans to testify in her own defense. frances. >> ron, thank you. >>> today, the supreme court will hear a mississippi case challenge roe versus wade. it centers around a law banning all abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. if the court decides to rule in favor of the state, roe could be overturned and abortion laws in states across the country could be redefined. >> let's check in on your wednesday weather, now it is december janessa, good morning. >> good morning, yeah, our temperatures are all over the place. if you are in the deep south, hovering in the low 40s, upper 30s in some spots the wind chills have calmed down. most of the east coast is pretty clear right now. but the chills will continue throughout your afternoon. if are you on the west coast, a completely different weather pattern. the jet stream was tagging more to the north that's allowing for warmer temperatures to move back in denver near record 71 degrees. omaha in the upper 60s that continues for tomorrow afternoon. it pushes more to the north and east

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police video showing what happened seconds after officer potter fired that shot. his girlfriend sobbing on the stand today, describing how she tried to save him. here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, for the first time, we see the moments after daunte wright was shot by former police officer kim potter, when his car takes off, crashing head-on into another vehicle. >> get out of the car so we can help him! >> reporter: this new body camera video showing the chaotic aftermath. >> who else is in the car? >> nobody. >> reporter: alayna albrecht-payton, who was in the car with wright, injured and sobbing. the 20-year-old, who had recently started dating wright, taking the stand today, describing those harrowing moments. >> i just remember, like, hearing, like, just like the boom, the bang of the gun. >> reporter: albrecht-payton saying she tried to save wright's life. >> i took my belt off and i grabbed, like, whatever was in the car. put it on his chest like you see in the mu vees aovies and tv sh i didn't know what to do so i just -- i just put my hand

police video now showing seconds after officer potter shot and killed daunte wright. his girlfriend sobbing on the stand, describing how she tried to save him. >>> we're tracking a cross-country storm tonight. heavy snow and strong winds. winter weather alerts from california now all the way to michigan. and in the northeast, the spike in temperatures, but then, what's coming right behind it. ginger zee is here. >>> tonight, president biden and the call with ukraine's president. and what vladimir putin said today, his alarming words. martha raddatz is here tracking it all. >>> and here in washington tonight, that moving image. elizabeth dole, her head on her late husband's casket, as a nation honors bob dole. >>> and good evening tonight from washington and it is great to have you with us here on a thursday night. we begin this evening with the verdict just in in the trial of actor jussie smollett. found guilty on five of six counts after nine hours of deliberations. smollett had been charged with filing a false police report in 2019 and several other counts, after cl

let's have a listen to kimberly potter's tearful evidence in court.yelling "taser, taser, taser!" and nothing happened. and then... he told me i shot him. this is the moment the judge read out the verdict. we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, while committing a misdemeanor on or about april 11, 2021 in the state of minnesota find the defendant guilty. the mother of daunte wright, katie wright, gave this reaction to the verdict outside the court. the moment we heard "guilty" on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion that you can imaginejust running through your body at that moment. i kind of let out a yelp because it was built up in the anticipation of what was to come while we were waiting for the last few days. and now we have been able to process its. we want to thank the entire prosecuting team, we want to thank the community support, everybody who has been out there and supported us in this long fight for accountability. there is concern it may be a hung jurywhen there another study, this time from the briti

in fact the potter case is happening in the same courtroom. opening arguments in the potter trial set for december 8th. david? >> alex perez with us tonight. thank you. >>> from washington tonight former president trump's chief of staff mark meadows is now cooperating with the committee investigating the january 6th capital riot. it is a shift for one of donald trump's closest advisers who weeks ago defied a subpoena, refusing to testify. meadows has produced records to the committee and will appear for a deposition. >>> to the economy and wall street reacting to the federal reserve chair jerome powell today and what he said about the uncertainty surrounding the new variant. the dow falling 652 points, nearly 2%. powell testifying before congress. >> the recent rise in covid-19 cases and the emergence of the omicron variant pose risks to the employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation. >> the market reacting to news powell suggesting he could remove pandemic era financial support in the next few months. >>> when we

also try for cough, mucus & congestion. >>> any moment now we could see kim potter take the stand inense. this after the prosecution rested their case earlier this morning. with the defense starting to call witnesses, potter, a former brooklyn center, minnesota, police officer, this morning reaffirming her intent to testify at some point in this trial. potter, you'll remember, is facing manslaughter charges after she says she mistakenly withdrew her service weapon instead of a taser, shooting and kill a man named daunte wright as she tried to arrest him. potter has pled not guilty to all the charges against her. >>> i want to bring in nbc news correspondent shaq brewster. what are you seeing as the defense's case starts to take shape here? >> they're trying to underunderstand -- kim potter's defense, that her action was justified and reasonable. they're going after what the prosecution has said. they're saying even if former officer potter intended to use her firearm, that would have also been justified. to do that, they have a use of force expert that we heard from that took much of

in that video, you hear an officer try to console potter after the shooting.g that some of the video you will see in this piece is disturbing. adrienne broaddus is out front. >> reporter: it's first time we are seeing a different view of daunte wright's deadly encounter with police. >> i shot him. oh, my god. >> reporter: new police body camera video shows wright initially cooperating with officers. >> you are under arrest, daunte. >> reporter: sergeant michael johnson then enters wright's car from the passenger side. testifying he struggled with wright for the gear shift. >> so he appears to have been trying to move the shift knob. >> yes after the shot was fired and the car crashed down the road, johnson tried to reassure officer kim potter who had pulled the trigger. >> kim, that guy was trying to take off with me in the car. >> reporter: next, video shows potter distraught. >> no, that's not happening, kim. i have given you my gun. okay? i am just going to hold on to yours. >> reporter: the weapon swap johnson says was to preserve evidence. he later remove

the more serious manslaughter charge carries a maximum of 15 years in prison but because potter had a clean record sentencing guidelines call for a sentence between roughly 6 to 8 and a half years behind bars let's bring in david henderson, civil rights attorney and cnbc contributor. good evening to you. what did the jury hear that convinced them >> good evening, contessa. i think what the jury heard that convinced them mainly was kim potter herself her testimony was equally ridiculous and offensive combined with the fact the defense took an approach to the case that i think worked pre-george floyd's murder but not post they said this is what it takts. he had this coming and the jury definitely rejected that argument, appropriately so >> in the trial we heard potter was a model police officer no one was debating that what message do you think this verdict now sends to law enforcement across this country? >> contessa, i think what you have to conclude that it sends is exactly what the prosecution said is that a mistake can rise to the level of being a crime. now from a legal point of v

potter pulling out a firearm. >> taser! taser! taser! >> reporter: realizing she had shot wright as the car drove off. >> i just shot him. >> reporter: the defense today placed the blame on wright, saying all he had to do was stop and he'd still be here. the prosecution arguing, as a veteran of the police force, potter should have known the difference between her taser and gun. potter is expected to take the stand in her own defense next week. david? >> all right, stephanie ramos from minneapolis. thank you, stephanie. >>> we turn next tonight to a story that horrified the nation. scott peterson was back in court today, and so was the family of lacy peterson, watching it all again. it was a resentencing hearing after the murder case nearly 20 years ago. scott peterson, you'll remember, convicted in the killing of his pregnant wife lacy and their unborn son on christmas eve in 2002. tonight, peterson in court, confronted by lacy's still grieving mother and siblings. and why was he in court? here's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: it was a ca

>> reporter: potter's defense insists she made a deadly mistake. >> i just shot him! yes! >> reporter: pulling her glock pistol when she thought she was grabbing a taser, and then firing a single bullet into wright's chest. the defense says wright was resisting arrest and about to drive off, and potter had to do something to protect the other two officers involved. under cross-examination, potter broke down when the prosecution asked why she didn't try to help either wright or the other officers after the shooting? >> you didn't run down the street and try to save duante wright's life, did you? >> no. >> you were focused on what you had done because you had just killed somebody. >> i'm sorry it happened. oh, my god! >> reporter: body camera video captured potter's reaction in the moments after the shooting. she was grilled about her extensive training on firearms and tasers over the 26 years she was an officer. >> you would have had taser training year after year for at least the last 19 years, right? >> yes. >> reporter: and the prosecutor tried to poke holes into the def

and we also heard from that rookie officer potter was training that day, anthony lucky. some of his testimony focused on why service weapons are on the opposite side of their duty belt. when he testified, he said it's so officers don't confuse their firearms with their tasers. erin. >> aidery yen, thank you very much. and thanks very much to all of you for being with us. "ac 360" starts now. >>> good evening. i'm wolf blitzer sitting in for andersonment tonight, the former public servant and memoir writer who will no longer tell the public about january 6th, unless it's the book-buying public, has just raised the legal ante against lawmakers wanting to know. former trump white house chief of staff, mark meadows, fresh from blowing off the deposition today before the house select committee and facing criminal contempt proceedings is now suing the members of the kb committee and the house speaker nancy pelosi. quoting from the filing. mr. meadows, a witness, has been put in the untenable position of choosing between conflicting privilege claims of constitutional origin and