After first planning to remove the Daunte Wright memorial in a residential neighborhood, Brooklyn Center city officials have agreed to leave it there and work on creating a permanent memorial at the intersection where Wright died last April.
Aubrey and Katie Wright, along with attorney Jeff Storms, met with City Manager Reggie Edwards on Tuesday to discuss plans for the memorial to their son just days after Edwards notified them and memorial caretakers that the city this week planned to reopen the sidewalk at 63rd Avenue and Kathrene Drive.
Wright, 20, was shot by police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop a few blocks away on April 11, 2021. After Potter fired one shot into Wright's chest, his vehicle sped off and crashed at the intersection. He died at the scene.
"My son laid in that spot for hours taking his last breath," Katie Wright said. "I go there, my family goes there. … We sit right where his body laid. I sit on the ground right next to him, and I feel connected to my son, and taking that away would be devastating to us."
A group of volunteers maintain the memorial, which consists of flowers, signs and a large brown fist originally from George Floyd Square, the site in south Minneapolis where Floyd was murdered by police in 2020. The fist sits on the sidewalk, with a path around it and garden beds in the warmer months.
In a statement issued Tuesday after the meeting, the Wright family's legal team — Benjamin Crump, Antonio Romanucci and Storms — said the meeting was "very positive."
"The city committed to maintaining Daunte's memorial in its current location," according to the statement. "The city and the family will work cooperatively with civil engineers, artists, and community members to construct a permanent memorial at that location. The current memorial will continue to exist as is until permanent plans are finalized.
"The family is encouraged by the city's commitment to preserving Daunte's legacy and this tragic and important piece of history, which means so much to Daunte's family and so many more. The family is indebted to those supporters who have continued to visit and maintain the memorial and fight for its continued existence."
Katie Wright said the family is planning to hold a candlelight vigil at the memorial on the April 11 anniversary of the shooting, with other community events planned for that weekend.
In the days following Daunte Wright's death, Brooklyn Center police erected a fence and placed concrete barriers two layers deep around the department's headquarters on Humboldt Avenue to keep hundreds of protesters and police separated. Many protesters adorned the fence with signs in support of Daunte.
The fence remained throughout last month's trial of Potter, who was found guilty on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Last week, some of the fencing along Humboldt Avenue in front of the station was removed. City officials have not said when the remainder will come down.
Staff writer Tim Harlow contributed to this story.
