Three Things for February 22
1. Kim Potter receives sentence for fatal shooting of Daunte Wright
On Friday, Feb. 18, Judge Regina Chu sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter to two years in prison for the murder of Daunte Wright.
According to AP News, Potter was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in December for firing her government-issued firearm at Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. The jury deliberated for 27 hours over the course of four days before finding Potter guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.
Throughout the trial, the former cop claimed she reached for her taser but instead grabbed her gun.
The judge said this was “one of the saddest cases I’ve had on my 20 years on the bench,” and explained her reasoning for giving a more lenient sentence than prosecutors requested and civilians expected.
“On the one hand, a young man was killed and on the other, a respected 26-year veteran police officer made a tragic error by pulling her handgun instead of her taser,” Chu said. “This is a cop who made a tragic mistake.”
2. Lee basketball player sets record
On Saturday, Feb. 19, Quay Kennedy made history and set new precedents in a career night in Pensacola, Florida.
Kennedy scored the most points by a Lee player since the program moved to NCAA Division II. Kennedy’s 39 points are the highest score in his career, and the most points scored by a Gulf South Conference player this season.
The senior forward scored most of his points on mid-range jump shots, shot three of six from behind the three-point line and threw down a slam dunk late in the game to seal the Flames’ victory.
"Obviously, Quay had a night and took the game over in the second half,” Head Coach Bubba Smith post-game told Lee’s Athletic Communication Department post-game. "We've been able to move him around a little more with our small lineup and he's able to get easier looks without having to create for himself every time.”
Kennedy and the Flames will play on Thursday against Christian Brothers, and Saturday against Union.
3. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces plan to lift England’s COVID-19 restrictions
England’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in parliament intentions to “start living with COVID,” including an end date for most free testing and relaxing previous rules about quarantine.
During his announcement on Monday, Feb. 21, Johnson said citizens who test positive are no longer required to quarantine but are encouraged to “exercise personal responsibility when deciding whether to stay at home,” according to BBC News.
In addition to the end of mandatory self-isolation, he announced the end of contact tracing altogether. Those who have encountered a positive case will no longer be required to quarantine.
These rules go into effect in April 2022. While England’s restrictions have relaxed, COVID-19 protocols are still in place throughout the rest of the United Kingdom.
