Daunte Wright's Mother, Other Family Members, Get Emotional Over His Killing
Daunte Wright Family Gets Emotional Over His Killing ... Calls for Justice
The family of Daunte Wright -- the 20-year-old Black man killed by police near Minneapolis -- just delivered impassioned, heartbreaking words about his fatal shooting ... and their pain is palpable.
Several of Daunte's loved ones spoke at the news conference outside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, including his mother, Katie ... who told the devastating story of her final phone call with her son as he was dealing with the police in what would turn out to be a deadly traffic stop.
Chyna Whitaker, the mother of Daunte's young son, spoke on how Daunte didn't live to see their child's second birthday ... saying the police stole her son's dad from him.
Other family members, including Daunte's grandmother, cousin and aunt, also delivered emotional, powerful words about their tragic loss.
George Floyd's family was also on hand to lend love and support to the Wright family, and along with everyone else ... called for justice in the case. Daunte's aunt also pointed out the 2 families have another connection -- she says Floyd's girlfriend used to be one of Wright's teachers.
Even a relative of Emmett Till spoke, saying ... "The past is not past until justice is served."
The news conference took place outside the courthouse where former Minneapolis PD officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial after being charged with murdering Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020.
Wright was fatally shot on Sunday by a cop in Brooklyn Center -- a Minneapolis suburb about 10 miles from the courthouse where Chauvin's standing trial.
Ben Crump joined "TMZ Live" to discuss the tragedy, which he calls the latest example of implicit bias against people of color by police. Crump points to the alleged discrepancies in why Wright was pulled over in the first place, and says the incident never should have escalated to a violent confrontation.
Crump adds that President Biden's comments about rioting in wake of Wright's killing are fair, but says the Prez needs to also rebuke the unarmed killings of Black men by police in America.
As we reported ... body cam footage of the incident shows the officer, Kim Potter -- a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center PD -- shot Wright during his struggle with the police. After the shot, you can hear her exclaim, "Holy s**t, I just shot him."
Police Chief Tim Gannon claims Potter meant to use her Taser, but accidentally discharged her gun instead. Wright died from the gunshot wound.
Wright's killing has sparked 2 straight nights of protests and riots in the Minneapolis suburb and the Twin Cities area.