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Potter Guilty Of Manslaughter In Fatal Shooting Of Daunte Wright; Early Studies: Omicron May Cause Less Severe Disease Than Delta. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 23, 2021 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

REPORTER: And what are you feeling now that you've processed it?

[15:30:03]

What are you feeling in your head and heart right now?

KATIE WRIGHT, DAUNTE WRIGHT'S MOTHER: Oh, my gosh. The moment that we heard guilty on the manslaughter 1, emotions, every single emotion you can 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 in the last few days.

Now we've been able to process it. We want to thank the entire prosecution team. We want to thank community support, everybody who's been out there that has supported us in this long fight for accountability.

REPORTER: What did you think of Ms. Potter when she was on the stand last week?

K. WRIGHT: I'd rather not answer that question.

AUBREY WRRIGHT, DAUNTE WRIGHT'S FATHER: Well, the true details, what do I think, I want to thank her -- I'm going to keep it short.

REPORTER: Mr. Ellison, did you expect former officer potter to take the stand, and do you think that helped or hurt your case?

KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: They said from the very beginning that she was going to testify. They said in jury selection. And she had -- she expressed herself immediately after this tragic incident on the scene. So I'm not too surprised.

Look, it's a lot -- I think it's a good sign that she was remorseful. I mean, who -- what decent person wouldn't be broken-hearted and sad if they were involved in something like this? So, I for the -- for her -- 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: There were two high-profile killings this year by police. What do you think that says about police accountability?

ELLISON: I think the juries admire police. They respect them, and they want to make sure that high ideals and standards are maintained.

REPORTER: Can I ask you really quick? You had a state witness testify that they may have used deadly force in a similar situation. Were you expecting one of your own witnesses to say that, and did you think it would be a hurdle to overcome?

ELLISON: I think that you're referring to the officers on the scene? Oh, yeah, I understand what you mean. We did call them. Well, we had confidence in the law and the facts, and we were very confident that Seth Stoughton was going to give clear testimony, and he did. So, I think that's pretty much what we haves time for now.

REPORTER: Really quick, what kind of sentence do you think you'll be calling for?

ELLISON: Fair one. Sorry I can't be more specific. But the main thing about sentencing is that the Wright family is going to be able to make a victim impact statement, and the most important thing may be that, really, for the first time they're going to be able to talk about how this tragic incident impacted them in their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks.

ELLISON: Thanks a lot.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: All right, you just heard from Minnesota attorney general there, Keith Ellison, along with his team of prosecutors who successfully prosecuted both manslaughter counts against former Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis Police Officer Kim Potter. We also heard a few words from Daunte Wright's parents. His mother Katie Bryant (ph) saying this has been a long fight for accountability, as the attorney just said. We'll hear a lot more from them in -- early in the New York, when they make a victim impact statement before the sentencing of former officer Potter.

As we bring back in our reporters on the ground in Minneapolis and our legal team, I would just note two really important things we heard from the Minnesota attorney general, and that is that accountability is what we saw, not justice. And he also said to police officers watching, we hold you in high regard and we also hold you to high standards.

Page Pate, back to you. I interrupted to get to that just as you were speaking your thoughts.

PAGE PATE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, that's fine, Poppy. I'll finish up the thought we were discussing and that's about the sentencing process, the prosecution asking for a higher sentence based on her status, based on the circumstances of her defense.

But I could also see the defense asking for a lesser sentence based on her responsibility. And that's not just through her testimony. We heard it on the video. I think it is very unusual to have a defendant, especially in a police case like this, literally say on tape, I'm going to prison. I'm sorry, I did this. And I think the attorney general was recognizing that when he he

simply said, we're going to hold officers accountable, but we appreciate the officer in this position making that acceptance of responsibility, being remorseful. I think that is very important for the law enforcement community as well as for the citizens of this state.

HARLOW: Elliot Williams, to you. There are going -- there is going to be this push by Attorney General Ellison's team once again in this case for aggregating factors to push for a longer sentence. When one of the jurors asked, how long of a sentence are you going to ask for, he said a fair one, so he didn't really lay out what they were going to ask for. But they were successful, the same team, in doing that in the trial and murder convictions of Derek Chauvin.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah. Look, what people should remember is that this is a crime of violence. There were two homicide charges here, and regardless of the fact that it was a police officer, someone put in a position of trust -- and this is backing up on Page's point that merely being in a position of trust, that in itself can be an aggravating factor at sentencing.

But I think people might have in their heads that regardless of what we think of police officers, this is a violent crime. And number one, what we saw today is that affected the fact that she was put back in prison pending sentencing, right? Her defense attorneys asked to have her released.

She's behind bars right now because she committed a crime of violence, she committed a crime of homicide, and she's been convicted of that. And for that reason, I think everybody -- society just needs to reframe what we think crimes are and what a violent defendant is. She's a violent defendant. She's a police officer who may have served honorably and ably for a long time, but she committed a violent crime and will be treated as such. If the law is treated honestly and fairly, she will be handled that way and sentenced to the appropriate law.

HARLOW: Very important point, back to what was said, we hold you in high regard, we also hold you to higher standards.

Josh Campbell, you have some information on other aggravating factors that the prosecution is going to push for here.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and what they're saying, these prosecutors, is that what Kimberly Potter did through her actions and drawing her service weapon, shooting Daunte Wright is that she was a threat to the public, not just to Daunte Wright himself.

Our viewers will recall during all these testimony that we saw, the jurors also heard from the wife and the daughter of an elderly man who was in a vehicle that was struck by Daunte Wright in a collision after he was shot. He drove away, obviously suffering from that gunshot wound, slammed head-on into a vehicle. These two witnesses testifying that this gentleman is now severely

injured. He had some preexisting conditions but he is now in hospice care. They attribute some of that to that severe injury.

That is what prosecutors have said, that because of the actions of this officer, that was one of the follow-on actions. It wasn't just with Daunte Wright. This gets to that larger point you've been talking about, which is so important as it comes down to accountability. There are countless officers around the country right now who go to work every single day protecting people, but there are others who betray their badge and they are held accountable.

Because officers are given so much power, they know that prosecutors will be looking over their shoulders, and that's what the prosecutor is saying here, that someone in that position needs to understand that if they become a threat to the public, they will be held accountable. One last thing I want to point out because there was so much testimony we can talk about, but in addition to body worn cameras and the issue of probably departments across the country realizing the need to invest in those, cities, community groups, calling for body-worn cameras, even officers knowing how to manipulate the devices they are given on their tool belts every single day.

You know, Potter was asked about whether she tested her Taser, what it did, what it looked like. She said she could hardly recall what the lights looked like that came out of the Taser. Clearly someone, at least according to her testimony, someone who was less familiar with a less lethal device, but still a dangerous device, that was given to her by the people on behalf of the public. That was one of the takeaways, that you had an officer that seemed to have no interest in how to operate something that was on her belt.

Obviously, that being the key issue here where she drew her service weapon rather than that Taser. You have to wonder whether this is an officer who took her proficiency very poor in her own mind, and she had more practice, more muscle memory.

[15:40:07]

Of course, we'll never know, but you can bet there are police officers around the country who will be focused on training and ensuring that before an officer walks out of roll call and hits the streets, they at least at a very minimum know how to operate the weapons, the devices that are on their tool belt, Poppy.

HARLOW: Yeah, absolutely, what lessons what can be taken from this tragedy to save lives in the future.

Adrienne, let me end this discussion with you. Again, thank you for your coverage throughout this trial. This is a city that has been debating and almost moved to defund its police. I mean, that's the broader context that we're talking about here in Minneapolis. And now you have the guilty murder conviction of Derek Chauvin and now guilty on both counts the manslaughter convictions of Officer Kim Potter here.

And we heard a lot from people in Minneapolis in Omar's reporting about finally they feel they're seeing accountability.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I've been trading texts with people in the community, some of the folks who were calling for the firing of Kim Potter immediately after they learned she had shot and killed Daunte Wright. So, if you've seen me looking down, that's what was going on.

I just want to read and share something with you from one activist who says I'm absolutely overwhelmed and joyful. Full justice would be having Daunte back with us, but this is a measure of justice. And just so we're clear, Kim Potter worked in Brooklyn Center, which is about 10 miles from the Hennepin County courthouse.

Brooklyn Center is in Hennepin County but it's not in Minneapolis, and officers in suburban districts surrounding Minneapolis made clear points to make sure there was a distinction. It seems, in my recollection from the eight years I lived here, folks who worked at Brooklyn Center or Golden Valley or Brooklyn Park or even Lakeville, they did not want to be lumped in with the Minneapolis Police Department.

Here we have a former Brooklyn Center Police officer who was convicted in the same courtroom as Derek Chauvin. When we heard from Katie Bryant just moments ago, you could see the relief. After days of waiting, finally an outcome.

I can't help but think what this was all over, a car freshener in the shape of a tree. Full transparency, I bought this air freshener from someone driving down the road just outside the Hennepin County courthouse a few weeks ago at the start of the trial. And when Katie Bryant testified, she said she told her son when he called and told his mom that he had been pulled over, she told him to remove that car freshener from the rearview mirror.

If you guys don't know, here in the state of Minnesota, it is illegal to have anything obstruct your view, and Kimberly potter said she never would have pulled him over for that violation -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Adrienne Broaddus, thank you for your reporting. Thanks for the entire team for sticking around this verdict was handed down and for your really important analysis. Thank you to you all.

Also, we are following very closely the COVID surge. Omicron is spreading as New York City's celebration on the New Year in Times Square is being scaled back. We'll tell you how.

And with just a few days left until Christmas, many are wondering what they can and cannot do and stay healthy and safe. We'll answer some of your questions ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:33]

HARLOW: Welcome back. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announcing that the city will scale

back its New Year's Eve celebration. There will only be 15,000 people allowed in the viewing area. Normally they allow 58,000. Everyone has to wear a mask, show photo identification, and anyone over five years old must be vaccinated.

This decision comes as cases continue to skyrocket in the city and as people brave freezing temperatures and long lines to get tested. But there are some positive signs in the pandemic. Several studies from the U.K. and South Africa are showing that omicron may pose a lower risk for hospitalizations and severe sickness compared to the delta variant.

Joining me now is Dr. Rob Davidson, an ER physician in West Michigan also executive director of the Committee to protect and health care.

Doctor, thank you very much for being here.

I think my first question is, bottom line, what should we take from the U.K. studies and the South Africa studies on omicron, given the circumstances aren't exactly identical to the U.S.?

DR. ROB DAVIDSON, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: Yeah, I think we should be cautious optimistic. Now, South Africa has a much younger population, the U.S. has a lot more obesity in our population, and the U.K. has a higher number of cases overall, and certainly in pockets of this country where I work, we're about 45 percent vaccinated.

And so, I think we still have to be very cautious because this strain seems to spread incredibly quickly. Even if there's half as many people or lessened up being hospitalized, if you have twice as many cases in a very short period of time, it's still going to stress the health care system.

[15:50:09]

And that's what we've been dealing with for five or six weeks here with delta.

HARLOW: You have seen a surge in Michigan now for weeks, and I'd like to play for our viewers what President Biden said last night in an interview with ABC News responding to criticism that his administration didn't get in front of this. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think it's a you can't argue it is a failure. You can say we should have known a year ago, months ago.

DAVID MUIR, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Empty shelves, no test kits some places three days before Christmas when it is so important. Is that good enough?

BIDEN: No. Nothing has been good enough.

MUIR: The vice president said in recent days you didn't see delta coming. You didn't see omicron coming. How did you get it wrong?

BIDEN: How did we get it wrong? Nobody saw it coming. Nobody in the whole world. Who saw it coming?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Do you agree and either way what do we now for the next wave if there is another variant coming?

DAVIDSON: It's hard to know exactly what the president was alluding to. Certainly with omicron nobody expected it as quickly as it has come here. We were seeing models saying mid-January and frankly it ripped through Europe and into the U.S. and now it's taking hold.

You know, as far as delta goes, I struggled because if we had more people vaccinated and that was the administration's plan, get the vaccine out and people vaccinated. I can't imagine any administration doing more to get more people vaccinated. They instituted vaccine mandates in businesses over a hundred employees and now are being sued by Republican states attorneys general. And so, I think, you know, you kind of throw your hands up. I appreciate him saying, yes, it's never good enough. Nothing is ever good enough if one person dies who didn't have to.

And so, we have to get more tests out, try to get more people vaccinated and get the new Pfizer pill out to as many as possible and I think this administration is showing they are going to be doing that.

HARLOW: Dr. Rob Davidson, thank you very much for being with us. Have a happy and safe holiday.

We'll be right back.

DAVIDSON: Thanks. Same to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: With just two days until the Christmas holiday, President Biden reassured Americans we are not headed back into a COVID lockdown saying those who are vaccinated can celebrate the holiday safely. But with an uptick in breakthrough cases in overwhelming demand for tests, there is growing confusion about how to gather safely.

For that advice, we turn in Erin Bromage. He is a professor in biology who specializes in immunology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

It's great to have you, professor. Thanks very, very much.

[15:55:07]

Let me get straight to viewer questions. Here's what they sent us. First, should we test before gathering indoors?

ERIN BROMAGE, PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT DARTMOUTH: Yeah. So the test definitely adds an extra layer of safety. We're looking at safety from infection, bringing the infection into the place. So, if you want to add that layer, if you want to avoid being infected, testing is the next layer on top of boostered vaccination.

HARLOW: Okay. Here is another. A 25-year-old boosted daughter flew in for the holidays, developed a scratchy throat and dry cough, tested positive yesterday. All of us are boosted. We feel fine.

Do we have to quarantine? For how long? We already nixed our holiday plans.

BROMAGE: Yes, so the CDC recommendations at the moment are you do not need to quarantine. But we all know that you can get infected if you're vaccinated, exactly this case. What we typically do in those situations is you've had a known exposure. We know within about four days after the exposure, the vast majority of people will develop symptoms if they were infected.

So what you should do over this next four or five days is lower your interactions with other people. Make sure that if you were infected you're not transmitting to others. Wear a good quality mask when you're out. And there about day four or five, test either with an antigen test or PCR and use it as guidance going forward.

You don't need to isolate yourself but make sure you are not part of the chain of transmission.

HARLOW: This has been a question that a lot of my colleagues who have young children have. I have this question as a mother of two young children as well. If a vaccinated parent tests positive but still have to care for infants or toddlers who are too young to be vaccinated, what do they do?

BROMAGE: Yeah, it's really tough. Working with families and households that end up with an infection it is really easy to say you need to isolate away from everybody else, but the reality of the situation is that can't happen in most situations. So, you know, you're accepting a risk that goes with infecting your child. Thankfully, we know with children the risks of infection and poor outcomes are very, very low.

But things you can do to sway it in your favor is wear a good quality mask when doing that. You can do a lot of lowering risk by wearing a mask and making sure you're not shedding the virus around the house. Open windows and doors a little bit. Even in cold weather cracking open a window or door is a really big part of lowering the viral burden in the air in the house.

If you've got access to filters, I've got a few HEPA filters I've been moving around friends' houses when infection got in there trying in the effort to not get other people in the household infected. It comes down to you need to be a parent. You have to look after your children. But you can do some things to lower the risk they will get infected. And that is masks, ventilation, filtration.

BOLDUAN: One other thing -- thank you for that for all the parents out there. One other question from a viewer named Mary. My friend wants to visit over the holiday, only received the J&J shot.

Is that okay?

BROMAGE: Yeah, so the J&J shot unfortunately is not working so great at blocking infection in people exposed to delta or omicron. It is still working well at stopping poor outcomes but basically, the way it looks is they don't have any better protection than a person unvaccinated.

But you've got to look at that risk. If someone wants to come visit you, you can put testing before hand, but if you've got a vaccinated household, the way that my household works now is we've redefined what risky is. We have sort of understood with our lifestyle we are going to at some stage the virus is going to get in. We've done everything we can to look after our personal health.

My wife and I are fully boosted. Our kids are vaccinated. For me, that is safe because we know we've tilted the odds so far in our favor that if somebody was to bring the virus in, we know that we will have good outcomes, you know, if infection did establish in the family.

HARLOW: Well, Professor Erin Bromage, thank you. Wishing a very healthy, happy holiday. Thanks again.

BROMAGE: You, too, Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. We have this update. Paleontologists -- are we doing the dinosaur story? Let me show you a cool picture before we go to "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER". We were going to try to get to this story but we don't have time.

Thank you all. Oh, okay. We'll do this great story. That's Lilibet. This is the first picture we are seeing of her. A very happy holiday to their family, to all of you, wishing you good health in the New Year. Thank you so much for joining me today.

And to this great team through all of the breaking news. I'll see you back here tomorrow.

"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" is next.