Oshkosh, WI: Rally for justice for Daunte Wright

Oshkosh, WI – On April 12, people from the city of Oshkosh came out in outrage against the murder of 20-year-old Daunte Wright at the hands of Kim Potter, a police officer from Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The shooting that occurred took place less than ten miles from the location where Derek Chauvin, a police officer from Minneapolis, murdered George Floyd. Chauvin’s trial is ongoing.

Daunte Wright was allegedly pulled over for the air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror; later police claimed Wright had a warrant, which confused him, causing him to sit back down into his vehicle. While trying to forcefully remove him from his vehicle, Officer Potter shot Wright in the abdomen with her gun. She immediately claimed she thought she had been holding her taser. Protesters are calling this error “inexcusable” and are demanding that the ‘veteran’ Officer Potter be fully held accountable to the law the same way that any regular person would be.

Protesters in Oshkosh highlighted the similarities between the murder of Daunte Wright and the murder of Isaiah Tucker in their own community almost four years ago, when officer Aaron Achterberg fatally shot Tucker for entering his vehicle attempting to ‘flee.’

“For years we have seen cases of police shooting Black men, women and children with no accountability. It’s happening everywhere and not just in big cities,” said Hollie Poupart, a leader with United Action Oshkosh and of the Wisconsin Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “Police are shooting and killing here in smaller cities like Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay and across the country. Enough is enough!”

Local grassroots organizations like United Action Oshkosh and the Wisconsin Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression are calling for a Civilian Police Accountability Council to be enacted to hold police officers accountable when they cause serious harm. More protests will take place as tensions resurface, fueling the drive for changes around the country.