EXPLAINER: How does an officer use a gun instead of a Taser?

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press

At former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter’s manslaughter trial for fatally shooting Daunte Wright, a Black motorist, the core of her defense is clear: She says she meant to use her Taser but grabbed her handgun instead. Experts say such cases are rare, but they do happen. The prosecution’s use-of-force expert, Seth Stoughton, testified that he knew of “fewer than 20” cases. Similar cases have been reported in recent years in California, Oklahoma and Missouri. Bill Lewinski studies police psychology. He says officers sometimes perform the direct opposite of their intended actions under stress.