The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Thursday canceled an upcoming use-of-force training for its enforcement officers, after learning a former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright in 2021 was contracted to lead it.
The agency had contracted with Kim Potter to have her “tell her story” and train its officers on the ramifications of using force, along with ways to avoid it, said spokesperson Brian Smith. The officers are responsible for enforcing liquor, cannabis and tobacco laws at businesses licensed to sell those products.
Potter — who shot Wright, an unarmed Black man, after mistaking her gun for her Taser — served 16 months in prison for second-degree manslaughter before she was released in 2023.
How tf did she only do 16 months? Sad
The judge gave her drastically under the minimum recommendation sentence because she thought it was too harsh for the circumstances:
explaining her sentencing decision, Chu said the case was unusual, and that Potter made a “tragic mistake” of thinking that she drew her taser instead of her firearm while in a chaotic situation.[11][140] Chu expressed that it was “one of the saddest cases I’ve had on my 20 years on the bench”.[141]
I think they reduced it from 10 years to 2 years. The 16 months was parole.
Personally I think she should have served the 10 years. Her and her partner pulled him over for having an air freshener on his rearview mirror and he got upset. When she and her partner were handcuffing him, she yelled “Taser! Taser!” And instead pulled her actual gun and fired it into his chest. She murdered that young man, a father, because she was an idiot.
The most egregious part? She was a police trainer. She literally trained cops about policy and process, and still fucked it up. She was actually training the cop with her at the time when she murdered Wright.
The officers are responsible for enforcing liquor, cannabis and tobacco laws at businesses licensed to sell those products.
Why would physical or deadly force be used in these enforcements? Why is this the police’s job at all and not the licensing board?
It’s the same way with Fish & Wildlife in Washington. A subset of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is its enforcement division, which are cops, with many of the usual cop powers, but they enforce specifically laws relating to regulating sales. Believe it or not, just like game wardens dealing with people fishing too much or trafficking animals or killing wolves; liquor stores, tobacco shops, and cannabis stores can get in shady deals, and while it’s totally overkill, I agree, they approach it the way any cop would. They’re just operating under the State Liquor and Cannabis Board just like the game wardens are at Fish & Wildlife. In Olympia, Fish & Wildlife is even located in the same building as a bunch of other environmental governance with no police powers like the Department of Natural Resources. But the bottom half of the DNR building is swarming with Fish & Wildlife Officers.
So, if I haven’t overexplained this, the licensing board are the police. It feels overkill for them to be armed officers, but I guess they justify it or whatever. Maybe there’s more shady liquor, tobacco, and cannabis businesses than I expect and when they’re busted they’re more violent than I expect but I doubt it.
https://lcb.wa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-and-education
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Enforcement and Education Division is responsible for enforcing state liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vapor laws and regulations. Officers provide education to liquor, cannabis and tobacco licensed businesses, communities, and local law enforcement agencies.
Enforcement officers are limited-authority, commissioned law enforcement officers. Enforcement operations include premises visits, compliance checks, undercover operations, and complaint investigations, while educational efforts include liquor and cannabis law briefings, technical assistance visits, and “Responsible Alcohol, Cannabis, Tobacco and Vapor Sales” classes.
Division headquarters is located in Olympia, while captains, lieutenants, and officers are based out of offices located around the state.
I think it’s standard throughout the US that game wardens are also police officers.
Meanwhile, Imran Ali — the former assistant Washington County prosecutor in Minnesota who had initially charged Potter — accused the board of canceling its training to avoid public scrutiny, fumbling an opportunity for Washington law enforcement officers to learn from Potter’s mistake. Ali came up with the idea to partner with Potter on the training, which they would have led together.
Prosecutor demonstrating to the local cops that he’s on their side when they kill people to keep a good relationship to ensure cooperation on future cases.
