police attempt to take wright into custody. a struggle ensues as the 20-year-old tries to get back into his car. >> taser, taser, taser! >> reporter: instead of grabbing her taser, officer potter grabs her gun and fires. >> oh [ bleep ]! i just shot him! >> oh, wow. >> reporter: wright's car travels for about a block before crashing into another vehicle. police say paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but wright was pronounced dead at the scene. shown in the trial, new video of the crash. >> get out of the car so we can help them! >> reporter: and its chaotic aftermath. >> don't worry about that, who else is in the car? >> reporter: watching the horror unfold in the passenger seat of wright's car, a young woman who had recently started dating right, elaiena albrecht-payton. >> pushing on his chest, called his name. he wasn't answering me. he was just -- gasping. >> and she faced the phone toward the driver's seat. and my son was laying there. he was unresponsive. he looked dead. >> reporter: wright's mom testifying about

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 that go to work every single day protecting everybody, but there are others who betray their badge and they are held accountable. because officers are given such 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 positions across the country 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 look

the mother of daunte wright, katie wright, gave this reaction to the verdict outside the court. the moment we heard "guilty" on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion that you can imaginejust 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 for the last few days. and now we have been able to process its. we want to thank the entire prosecuting team, we want to thank the community support, everybody who has been out there and supported us in this long fight for accountability. there is concern it may be a hung jurywhen there another study, this time from the british government, offers hope that the omicron variant of the coronavirus is less likely to cause severe disease than delta — the previously dominant variant. earlier studies from the uk and south africa also suggested that omicron is causing more mild disease, although the sheer number of cases could still overwhelm health systems. our medical editor, fergus walsh reports. 30-40, 30—40, these are the ag

both of duante wright's family members were there. they cried as the verdict was read as understandable. they know that kim potter's husband said "i love you, kim." a lot of emotions running throughout this case. i want to bring in attorney brian claypool. what do you make of this verdict and the response we're seeing so far? >> gillian, thanks for having me back. we talked yesterday about this. i commented to you that that question by the jury about wanting to handle that gun, i thought that they favored the prosecution. why? ted williams mentioned this as well. it's difficult for a judge to grasp how kim potter would not know the difference between a taser and a gun. the taser weighs 50% less than a gun. that was a big game changer yesterday. at the end of the day, it's not surprised by the guilty verdict on the second degree manslaughter. a little surprised by the guilty on the first degree manslaughter. guess what? the jury sent a message to the entire country that they felt -- i looked back at the language in the first degree man

wright, right? >> yes. >> and he came back to the car with a name, date of birth, all kinds of information, right? >> i know a name and a date of birth? >> well, officer lucky told you that he -- he believed him. he thought that essentially -- thought that mr. wright was telling the truth, right? >> yes. >> and then when officer lucky put all of this information into the system, you corrected him. you add monished him and told him he was doing wrong. >> i told him the way to do it? >> i told him. >> that's your job as an fto? >> yes, when there's an opportunity. >> you corrected him and he re-entered the information and you found out about the warrant, right? >> yes. >> now there was also a conversation about officer lucky -- code 4ing him? >> what. >> code 4 sgling yes. >> and did you also correct officer lucky for doing that? >> he did that before he ran the driver and he shouldn't do that. >> and you told him that, right? >> yes. >> don't code 4 yourself before you have all the information, south

when she shot wright with her gun wright's mother. >> the moment that we heard guilty on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion that you could imagine just running through your body at that moment. >> reporter: the fatal incident in a suburb of minneapolis last summer captured by numerous police body cameras. officers stopped wright because of an illegal air freshener and expired license plate tags then tried to take him into custody after a records check revealed an outstanding arrest warrant for a case involving a weapon. >> taser taser! taser! >> daunte wright caused his own death, unfortunately. but those are the cold hard facts, the evidence. >> reporter: while prosecutors argued an unarmed wright posed no threat. >> i would have preferred had daunte wright followed the commands and not tried to flee, sure. does that absolve her from liability does that allow her to shoot him to death it does not. >> reporter: tonight potter denied bail and escorted out of court in handcuffs, facing up to 15 years in prison. >> we have a degree of accountability for daunte wright's deat

wright's girlfriend in tears, testifying about her frantic attempt to save wright's life as he was gasping in his final moments. >>> and new video. the crash caught on camera >>> also tonight the fda and cdc authorizing pfizer boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds a day after pfizer said boosters provide strong protection against the omicron variant. nationwide fears of a winter surge as the unvaccinated fill icus the states deploying the national guard to hospitals. >>> the cross country winter storm we're tracking up to three feet of snow >>> president biden's high stakes call with the ukraine president days after he warned vladimir putin against a russian invasion our richard engel on the front lines in ukraine tonight. >>> former senator and presidential nominee bob dole honored while laying in state at the capitol. >>> and after a tragedy how one community is helping the band play on. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. a verdict as we come on the air in the closely watched jussie smollett trial a chicago jury tonight finding the former "empire" actor guilty

wright? >> yes. >> he came back to the car and a name and date of birth and all kinds of information? >> a name and a date of birth. >> officer lucky told you he believed him. he thought he was telling the truth, right? >> yes. >> then when officer lucky put in all of this information into the system, you corrected him. you admonished him and told him he was doing it wrong? >> i told him a better way to do it. >> that's your job as an fto? >> right. >> to correct him if he messes something up, right? >> yes, when there is an opportunity. >> you corrected him. he reentered the information. you found out about the warrant? >> yes. >> there was also a conversation about officer lucky code-4ing himself? >> yes. >> did you also correct officer lucky for doing that? >> he did it before he ran the driver. he should not do that. >> you told him that? >> yes. >> can't code 4 yourself before you have all of the information? >> yes. >> that was your job as the fto to correct whatever he was doing that w

wright's girlfriend was in the car at the time. >> really scared. i've never seen him like that before. i just remember hearing the bang of the gun and then i remember just looking up. >> reporter: wright's girlfriend telling the court what happened after the shooting. >> i grabbed whatever was in the car. i don't remember if it was a sweater. a towel or blanket or something. i didn't know what to do so i just put my hands over his chest and just tried to hold it and scream his name. i replay it in my head daily. >> reporter: after wright was shot he sped away from the scene bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest. moments later police dash cam video shows wright's car striking another in a violent crash. his girlfriend called out to police on the scene. >> the driver is not breathing. >> trying to push on his chest and called his name. he wasn't answering me. he was just gasping, like just taking breaths of air. >> reporter: she tells the prosecutor about a face time call with wright's mother while she was still in the car. >> you said you point

wright. right? >> yes. >> and he came back to the car with a name, date of birth, all kinds of information. right? >> i know a name and a date of birth. >> well, officer lucky told you that he believed him. he thought that essentially this -- that he was telling the truth. right? >> yes. >> and then when officer lucky put in all this information into the system, you corrected him. you admonished him and told him he was doing it wrong. right? >> i told him better ways to do it, probably. >> and that's your job as an fto? >> yes. >> to correct him if he messes something up. right? >> yes. when there's an opportunity. >> so you corrected him and then he reentered the information, and then you found out about the warrant. right? >> yes. >> now, there was also a conversation about officer lucky code fouring himself. right? >> what? >> code fouring himself. >> yes. >> did you also correct officer lucky for doing that? >> he did it before he ran the driver, and he shouldn't do that. >> and you told him tha

you showed the picture, you talked about dante wright. that day he was excited, his family tells me, because he just received a new car. it wasn't brand new, but it was passed down from someone else in his family. he was going to get the car washed, and in his vehicle, he had one of these, a car freshener in the shape of a tree hanging, and in the state of minnesota, it's illegal to have anything obstruct your view. and when potter testified, she said had she been working alone that day, she never would have pulled dante wright over. as the verdict was read, she stood silently. she did not cry, from what i saw from our vantage point, when the first count was read, the first-degree manslaughter. she looked down. when a guilty verdict was read on the second count, she closed her eyes. more reaction, notably, from her defense attorney, earl gray. after the jury was excused, he sat down. at one point he buried his hands in his head. so here we have it. after a week of waiting, 25 hours this jury deliberated. they heard from multiple witnesses

wright. the jury finding kim potter guilty on both counts of manslaughter for the deadly shooting of wright. a 20-year-old man. potter testified she had mistaken her gun for her taser. the former officer led away from the courtroom in handcuffs. the reaction from wright's family and how long potter could spend behind bars. >>> also tonight the fda approving a second pill to treat covid as omicron rages across the country. new york city scaling back its new year's eve celebration in times square. and a new u.k. study on omicron. what it found about the risk of hospitalization. >>> the holiday travel rush two days before christmas. over 100 million on the roads. air travel now topping pre-pandemic levels. and the hero tsa agent leaping into action to save a baby's life. >>> the deadly winter storm on the move. flooding and up to nine feet of snow. we're tracking it. >>> former president trump taking his fight with the january 6th committee all the way to the supreme court. >>> vladimir putin ta

last april, outside of minneapolis, potter and a rookie officer stopped wright after spotting an air freshener illegally hanging from his rear-view mirror and expired tags. potter's partner -- for having an outstanding warrant on a misdemeanor gun charge but he resisted and tried to drive away. during the struggle, potter shouted a taser warning before firing her handgun, killing wright with a single bullet to his chest. >> i shot him. >> reporter: potter is charged with two counts of manslaughter in the first and second degree. >> and she pulled the trigger and she shot him in the chest. and she did those things without bothering to confirm what was in her hand. >> reporter: potter's attorneys admit she made a mistake confusing her glock 9 millimeter pistol for the taser. her attorney says she was trying to protect an officer when she shot wright. >> all he has to do is stop and he'd be with us but he goes. she can't let him leave because he's going to kill her partner. >> reporter: wright's mother, katy bryant, was on the phone with her son when the incident played out. video was s

emotions were running high as wright's mother was the first to testify on wednesday. cnn's josh campbell has more. >> reporter: this was a moment officer kim potter says she made a fatal mistake, which cost 20-year-old daunte wright his life. >> [ bleep ]. i just shot him.

tonight, wright's mother is our guest. >>> plus breaking news. the house pushing the supreme court to move quickly on trump's effort to keep white house efforts tied to january 6th secret. >>> and the rapid spread of omicron shattering records. and now the cdc is announcing a big change on how long a certain group of people need to isolate after testing positive. let's go

it's not about daunte wright. kim potter is the one who pulled the trigger on the gun. >> listen, she does sound distraught after making that fatal mistake. you don't think that will play with the jury? >> well, look, she does sound distraught. but on the other hand, did she or any of her fellow officers do anything to assist daunte wright, who they know she had just shot? she knew she had shot somebody in the chest and they're concerned about her. they needed to call medical emergency right away and they failed to do that. she knew she made a mistake, clearly. >> yeah. antonio, thank you very much. i appreciate it. thanks for joining us. >> thank you, don. good night. >> kim potter faces first degree manslaughter and second degree manslaughter charges. >>> a black couple low balled on the value of their house by an appraiser and when a white friend showed the same house, it shot up almost half a million. now they're suing. sleep better and longers you when you need it most. it's non habit forming and powered by t

outside the court, daunte wright's mother, katie wright, gave her reaction to the verdict. the moment that we heard "guilty" on manslaughter one — emotions, every single emotion that you could imaginejust 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 for the last few days. and now we've been able to process it, we want to thank the entire prosecution team, we want to thank communities, support, everybody who's been out there that has supported us in this long fight for accountability. well, earlier, we spoke to reverendjim bearjacobs who's close to daunte wright's family and also director for racialjustice for the minnesota council of churches. my immediate reaction was one of relief. as the jury deliberations went on, i must admit i began getting a little more sceptical about whether we would see guilty verdicts in this case. and you're calling of course for police to change the way they operate, to issue citations and summons rather than force in the wake of what

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former police officer kim potter is found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of daunte wright. our experts will break down the verdict and its significance for the fight to hold police accountable. also tonight the omicron surge worsens as the holiday travel rush gets into full swing across the united states the demand for covid tests is intensifying. new york city just scaled back its new year's eve bash. former president trump takes his battle with the january 6th select committee to the united states supreme court. he is ramping up his efforts to keep his white house records secret by asking the justices to step in. we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." let's get straight to the breaking news. the guilty verdicts in the trial of former police officer kim potter. we'll go to minneapolis tonight. potter has now been convicted on two counts of manslaughter in the shooting death of daunte wright. >> reporter: wolf, yes. when that guilty verdict was read, little emotion from the former bro

wright and ms. potter's family as well. >>> try to train officers about seeing people as not being scary of all races. david, i want to give you the last word before we move on to the other news of the day 689 i think overall we'll have to address the mentality in which policing is approached. you saw that come through with regard to the fril strategy i agree with daunte's dad, we all need to -- but it was also with the closing argument. i texted shaq, it was one of the most offensive closing arguments i could remember, because of the way they blamed daunte for the outcome of that traffic stop. i do think this is one of those cases that's going to divisive, in that it will be harder fighting for police reform before it gets better, but this is a major step. david henderson, charles coleman and kristin gibbons, thank you. >>> coming up, the fda clears a second pill to treat covid-19. . want your clothes to smell freshly washed all day without heavy perfumes? try new downy light in-wash scent beads. i

the jury finds the former officer guilty on manslaughter charges after she shot and killed duante wright. why some say the verdict still does not bring justice. >>> risky rescue. search teams find a lost hiker in a small cave in hawaii. the mistake he made that delayed the operation. >>> good morning, i'm wendy gillette in for anne-marie green. for the second straight year, the covid pandemic is casting a dark shadow over christmas. this morning, air travelers are being impacted. united, delta, and jetblue already canceled more than 300 flights for today. united the most. a spokesperson blamed a staffing shortage because of the virus. more than 261,000 cases were reported yesterday according to johns hopkins university. as the number of cases pies up, the cdc is changing rules for health care workers who test positive. they can work after seven days instead of ten if they test negative and don't have symptoms the rules are designed to help hospitals that overwhelmed with covid patients. courtney kealy is in new york with this and more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, wendy. aaa

>> daunte wright! >> reporter: shortly after the verdict crowds outside the courthouse chanted wright's name. while the state pushed to reassure potter's police family. >> when a member of your profession is held accountable, it does not diminish you. in fact, it it shows. it shows the whole world that those of you who enforce the law are also willing to live by it it. >> reporter: the jury took nearly 27 hours to deliberate whether potter's actions were criminal. >> i took the wrong [ bleep ] gun! >> reporter: over eight days in minneapolis jurors heard from 33 witnesses including tearful testimony from potter herself. >> i didn't want to hurt anybody. >> reporter: the defense aimed to prove the 26-year police veteran was protecting her fellow officers during a risky traffic stop. >> she didn't cause this, and she had a right to use deadly force. >> reporter: in closing arguments they faulted wright for not cooperating with law enforcement. >> she says taser, taser, taser. and he said okay. stop, i gi

daunte wright's mother, the first witness to take the stand today. abc's stephanie ramos from minneapolis tonight. >> reporter: tonight, an emotional start to the criminal trial of former police officer kim potter, accused in the death of 20-year-old daunte wright. potter, a 26-year veteran of the police department, in the courtroom today. she faces first and second-degree manslaughter charges after shooting wright in the chest last april. the defense says she mistook her taser for her gun. katie bryant, wright's mother, called as the prosecution's first witness. >> i wanted to protect him, because that's what mothers do. >> reporter: bryant detailing the last phone call with her son, as he was pulled over for an air freshener in the rear view mirror, which is illegal in minnesota, and an expired tag. >> he just sounded really nervous, but i reassured him that it would be okay. >> reporter: the call abruptly ending. that mother later making a video call. a woman in the car with wright answering the phone. >> she said they shot him and she faced the p

joining me now aubrey wright, daunte wright's father, and antonio, an attorney for the wright family. sir, i want to start with you, mr. wright, because i think in instances like this it's very painful, i'm sure that your son's life is being thought of only as it relates to kim potter and how it ended. can you just take a moment to tell us about your son and remind us of how special he was to you and your family and still is? >> daunte was very special to us. you know, we -- we loved daunte, and he loved us with all of our heart. you know, it's sad that his name was associated with the kim potter trial. he meant a lot to us. >> i can see that. i'm the mother of a son myself, and i know that you think of daunte, you and your wife, it was your first child together. and you have two other children as well, and i'm just very sorry, and i just want to convey that, full stop. i'm very sorry what you're experiencing especially this time of year and what you're going through, sir. and of course there was celebration in the streets of minneapolis after this verdict was read, but i'd love for y

wright's girlfriend was in the car at the time. >> he was really scared. i've never seen him like that before. i just remember, like, him, like, the bang of the gun and i remember just looking up. >> reporter: wright's girlfriend telling the court what happened after the shooting. >> i grabbed whatever was in the car. i don't remember, it was a sweater, a towel or blanket or something, and -- i put my hands over his -- i tried to hold it. >> reporter: after wright was shot, he sped away from the scene, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest. moments later police dashcam video shows wright's car striking another in a violent crash. his girlfriend called out to police on the scene. >> the driver is not breathing. >> i tried to push on his chest and call his name. and he wasn't answering me. he was just, um, gasping. like just taking breaths of air. >> reporter: she tells the prosecutor about a facetime call with wright's mother while she was still in the car. >> you said you pointed the camera at him. >> yes. so mom could see -- >> reporter: the officer

we're calling for justice for wright who was killed during a traffic stop. potter said she accidentally grabbed her gun instead of a taser during the incident in april. if convicted she could fates up to eight years in prison. here's david shuman from our minneapolis station, wcco. >> "i killed a boy," those were the defendant's words. >> reporter: prosecutors said former police officer kimberly potter was reckless and culpable for the death of 20-year-old duante wright. potter's body camera captured the moment the routine stop turned deadly. last april outside of minneapolis, potter and a rookie officer stopped wright after spotting an air freshener illegally hanging from his rearview mirror and expired tags. potter's partner tried to arrest wright for having an outstanding warrant on a misdemeanor gun charge, but he resisted and tried to drive away. >> taser, taser, taser! >> reporter: during the struggle potter shouted a taser warning before she killed wright with a single bullet to the chest. [ inaudible ] >> i shot him. >> reporter: potter is charged wi

the mother of daunte wright, katie wright, gave this reaction to the verdict outside court. the moment that we heard "guilty" on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion that you could imagine just running through your body at that moment. a kind of let out a yell, because it was going to build up in anticipation of what was to come while we were waiting for the last few days. and now we have been able to process it. we want to thank the entire prosecution team, we want to thank communities, support, everyone who has been out there who has supported us in this long fight for accountability. that was katie right there. the incident led to several nights of intense protests at a very sensitive time in the united states and not far from the court where white police officer, derek chauvin, was standing trialfor the murder of a black man, george floyd. let's have a listen to kimberly potter's tearful evidence in court. i remember yelling "taser, taser, taser," and nothing happened. and then he told me i've shot him. let's get more on this story with our north america

police video now showing seconds after officer potter shot and killed daunte wright. his girlfriend sobbing on the stand, describing how she tried to save him. >>> we're tracking a cross-country storm tonight. heavy snow and strong winds. winter weather alerts from california now all the way to michigan. and in the northeast, the spike in temperatures, but then, what's coming right behind it. ginger zee is here. >>> tonight, president biden and the call with ukraine's president. and what vladimir putin said today, his alarming words. martha raddatz is here tracking it all. >>> and here in washington tonight, that moving image. elizabeth dole, her head on her late husband's casket, as a nation honors bob dole. >>> and good evening tonight from washington and it is great to have you with us here on a thursday night. we begin this evening with the verdict just in in the trial of actor jussie smollett. found guilty on five of six counts after nine hours of deliberations. smollett had been charged with filing a false police report in 2019 and several other counts, after cl

video shows lease attempting to arrest wright . before he gets back in his car, potter pulls out her gun and yells taser area before shooting wright in the ship in the chest. >> i shot him. oh my god. oh my god. oh my god. >> reporter: under cross- examination, potter agreed she received hundreds of hours of training during her 26 year career, and that she did not see a weapon on wright. she broke down while watching video of the scene, and the judge called a recess. before potter took the stand, a defense witness testified that an officer under high stress is more likely to make a mistake and confuse a gun for a taser. >> potter resigned from the police force days after the shooting. she testified that she didn't want anything bad to happen to her coworkers. >>> president biden's plan to spend roughly $2 trillion on social issues has had a roadblock in the senate. it now looks like his bill back better plan will not pass by the year end deadline. instead, the president is pivoting to voting rights. he was in south carolina and use

seeing wright as he lay dying. the jury saw more pictures and video of what happened to wright, some too graph took show here frances. >> ron, thank you. >>> we're tracking the first big winter storm of the season michelle grossman is in for vanessa. and joins us for the latest. happy friday >> i feel like i need confetti to go off when we say that happy friday almost the weekend you're watching snowy weather for some a big winter storm all through the northern plains and upper midwest. we could see a foot of snow in some spots today let's look at the alerts we're looking at 13 million people impacted. as we go through today, difficult difficult travel across the upper plains, midwest and the chance for strong storms in the ohio valley and tennessee valley could see strong nighttime tornados and winds in the upper 80s in texas. 88 in corpus christi warm weather in the northeast tomorrow the trade off is going to be rain but we'll talk about that coming up. >> what a turn around. >>> still to come we're remembering

charged in the killing of daunte wright during a traffic stop. wright's mother testifying today as the first witness. ron allen is there >> you shot him. why? >> i don't know. >> reporter: katie bryant, daunte wright's mother scene on police video arriving at the scene after her son had been shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop last april. >> and i wanted to protect him because that's what mothers do. >> reporter: bryant the first witness at the trial of former officer kimberly potter charged with manslaughter she has pleaded not guilty potter's attorneys say she fired her gun, mistaking it for a taser. jurors seeing new police video of her reaction. >> this was an accident she's a human being. >> reporter: prosecutors insist potter, who had 25 years of experience, was reckless and flouted her training, showing the jury images of two weapons highlighting the differences. >> she drew it she aimed it she pointed it directly at daunte wright, and she did those things without bothering to confirm what was in her hand >> reporter:

wright's girlfriend describing her attempts to save him ron allen is there >> i just put my hands on his chest and i just tried to hold it and just tried to scream his name. >> reporter: daunte wright's girlfriend the passenger in his car, describing the moments after former police officer kim potter, charged with manslaughter, had shot him in the chest. >> he was just gasping and just like -- he wasn't saying anything. >> reporter: today the jury seeing more new police video as prosecutors focus on what happened in the minutes right after the shooting wright's car taking off, jumping a median crashing into an oncoming vehicle. >> put your hands up >> reporter: police testifying the first officers to arrive had no idea one of their own had shot wright. one even telling the jury he thought wright was still alive. >> did you see movement of the driver >> yes, sir. >> and that would be indicating that at that point in time the driver was still alive, correct >> yes, sir. >> reporter: prosecutors say the minutes after potter shot wright reveal more examples of how she failed in her dutie

wright. potter mistook her firearm for a taser when she accidentally -- excuse me, fatally shot him. the verdict is going to be read between 2:30 and 3:00 eastern, we are told. we are going to bring it to you live from outside the courtroom as soon as it happens. you will recall the charges are first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter, and the panel now has to decide whether potter committed a misdemeanor, the reckless and handling of a firearm to engage another with such violence that death or great bodily harm to any person was reasonably foreseeable. this alleges she caused her death by her culpable negligence, meaning that potter caused unreasonable risk and unconsciously took the chance of causing death or great bodily harm while possessing a firearm. neither of these charges requires prosecutors to prove that potter intended to kill daunte wright, but they pointed that out to the jury in their opening statements and we are going to hear that news, mike, in the next hour

daunte wright can't. i want you to hear from katy bryant, daunte wright's mother, with her reaction right after the verdict was read. >> oh, my gosh. the moment that we heard guilty on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion you could imagine just running through your body at that moment. i kind of let out a yelp because it was built up and the anticipation of what was to come while we were waiting the last few days. and now we've been able to process it. >> my thoughts are also with those who work in law enforcement and public safety. we hold you in high regard and we also hold you to high standards. we don't want you to be discouraged. your community respects and appreciates you. we want you to uphold the highest ideals of our society and ideals of safety. >> this of course is the second high profile conviction of a minneapolis area police officer or former police officer that we've seen. of course, back in april it was derek chauvin that was convicted in the murder of george floyd. ellison

the first prosecution witness, daunte wright's mother. more from adrian and a warning, some of the video is disturbing. [crying] >> reporter: katy bryant shaken as she describes her final conversation with her son daunte wright. bryant was the first witness called in a manslaughter trial of former police officer kim potter. potter is accused of shooting and killing wright after she says she mistakenly pulled her gun instead of her taser. >> he called me to tell me he's been pulled over. he asked, you know, if he was in trouble and he just sounded really nervous. but i reassured him it would be okay. >> reporter: but what bryant heard next still haunts her. >> i could hear the phone being put down and i heard them say, somebody tell somebody to hang up the phone and then that's all i heard. >> reporter: on the stand, bryant revealing what she saw on facetime. >> she said that they shot him. [crying] and she faced the phone towards the driver's seat and my son was laying there. he was unresponsive and he looked dead. >> reporter: bryant tes

police officer kimberly potter, who said she mistook her gun for her taser when she fatally shot daunte wright. will she testify in her own defense. >>> tiger woods speaking out for the first time about his suv crash. what he revealed about his future in the sport. >>> after black friday and cyber monday sales, it is giving tuesday. how you can give back this holiday season. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. discouraging words tonight from the head of vaccine maker moderna, quoted as saying there could be a material drop in the effectiveness of current vaccines against the omicron variant. while late today pfizer filed for approval of booster shots for 16 and 17-year-olds, hoping to protect as many people as possible scientists are feverishly trying to understand the heavily mutated variant, now tracing its origins to a different and earlier path than first thought, as new worldwide recommendations are issued for certain travelers. some of the critical answers about the variant are still perhaps weeks away but there could soon be a new tool in the fight against

. >> describing the moment she shot and killed daunte wright. claiming she mistook her gun for her taser. potter sobbing, saying i'm sorry it happened. >>> news tonight about a susp suspected serial killer. >>> a storm moving into the northeast. winter weather alerts already up tonight. snow, sleet, and rain. rob marciano timing it out. >>> the longest sentence yet after january 6th. a florida man repeatedly assaulting officers. >>> tiger woods beginning his comeback. what we witnessed today with tiger and his son. >>> dolly parton, what she's done. >>> and our "made in america" christmas. the ideas pouring in. we keep going. >>> good evening, it's great to have you with us as we near the end of another week together. christmas eve, one week from tonight. and we have a lot of news, and a lot of questions about the omicron variant. late today, a new study finding omicron spreading 2 to 3 times faster than delta. and the risk of being reinfected is nearly five times higher. showing how transmissible this variant is. the famous rockettes christmas

posed no threat. >> i would have preferred daunte wright respond to commands. does that allow her to shoot him to death? it does not. >> reporter: potter denied bail and escorted out of court in handcuffs facing 15 years in prison. >> we have account ability for death. accountability is not justice. justice would be restoring his life and making the family hole. accountability is an important step, a critical necessary step on the road to justice for us all. >> tonight we are remembering the life of a legendary writer with bay area roots. joan diddian was a sacramento native. she took the county by storm during the 1960s. she was a journalist, an essayist, a novelist and screen writer. known for keen reporting style, she gave readers a rare view of her troubles, the seminole book magic of thinking. writing about the death of her husband, the illness of her daughter. she died at her home in new york city from complications from parkinson's. >>> okay. up next, the gut wrenching and frustrating loss for the niners. a look outside the 49ers locker room in nashville

the mother of daunte wright, katie wright, gave this reaction to the verdict outside the court. the moment we heard guilty on the manslaughter one, emotions, every single emotion that 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 for the last few days. and now we have been able to process its. we want to thank the entire prosecuting team, we want to thank the community supports, everybody who has been out there and supported us in this long fight for accountability. our washington correspondent is nomia iqbal — she explained more about the context of this case. the death step sparks days of unrest and that came off the back of the summer of coast—to—coast protests by many americans who feel that the police cheat people of colour very differently in this country. if they think that's worth mentioning on this case is pretty rare to be convicted in this way with these sorts of criminal charges. lots of reasons for that. lots of it is because there ar

fred: a plea that wright's mother has repeated since april. for the pbs newshour, i'm fred de sam lazaro in brooklyn center, minnesota. ♪ judy: it's been nearly four months since the united states ' withdrawal from afghanistan, the collapse of the afghan government, and the taliban takeover. the country is now widely seen in freefall, with citizens in danger and a spiraling humanitarian crisis. here's nick schifrin. nick: afghanistan is on the brink of mass starvation. every single afghan province is considered food insecure or, even in crisis. 23 million afghans need food assistance. 8.7 million are nearing famine. one million children face severe, acute malnutrition and could starve and die this winter -- far more than died in 20 years of war. schools have no money to pay teachers because the banking system is inoperable. and the health care system is near collapse because international assistance that was the source of funding has been frozen. to talk about u.s. policy, i'm joined by tom west, recently named the u.s. special representativ

you'll recall potter shot and killed daunte wright during a traffic stop when wright jumped back into his car and potter mistook her gun for her taser. the court's website says there is an outcome in the case, which is somewhat vague, but all indications are that it is a verdict. and we'll bring it to you live as soon as it's read in the courtroom. >>> first, though, on this christmas eve eve, millions of families are making last-minute decisions as the omicron variant explodes and for some it is a wrenching choice. get together and risk spreading the virus to elderly relatives or kids too young to get vaccinated, or spend another christmas apart. for some the choice is either when all of the adults getting together are vaccinated and boosted, or families in which some or all people are not vaccinated, though, it's not hyperbole to say that the gathering could end in severe illness or look. wherever you live, there's line after line of people waiting to be tested, trying to be safe and be sure they test negative. but rapid tests can be unreliable and pcr results could take days to com

. >>> daunte wright girlfriend in tears. josh campbell is out front and warning some of the images you'll see in his piece may disturb. >> reporter: emotional testimony from duante wright girlfriend. potter mistook her gun for his taser when she shot during a routine traffic stop. wright's girlfriend was in the car at the time. >> he was really scared. i've never seen him like that before. i just remember like hearing the bang of the gun and that then i remember looking up. >> reporter: wright's girlfriend telling the court what happened after the shooting. >> i took my belt off and i grabbed like whatever was in the car. i don't remember. it was a sweater, a towel or like something. i didn't know what to do. i just put my hands over it. i just tried to hold it and tried to scream his name. i replay that image in my head daily. >> reporter: after wright was shot, he sped away from the sk scene bleeding from a gunshot wound. we see wright's car striking another in a violent crash. his girlfriend called out to police on the sc

. >>> and still ahead the jury sees new body cam footage from the killing of daunte wright. what it could mean for the former police officer who pulled the trigger. >>> plus, covid cases and hospitalizations on the rise as the delta variant continues sweeping across the country. now some states are deploying the national guard to help medical teams. the latest and all your covid headlines after a quick break. stay with us. ♪ i'm a reporter for the new york times. if you just hold it like this. yeah. ♪ i love finding out things that other people don't want me to know. mm-hmm. [beep] i just wanted to say... ♪ find yourself in these situations and see who you are. and that's just part of the bargain. ♪ your eyes. beautiful on the outside, but if you have diabetes, there can be some not-so-pretty stuff going on inside. it's true, with diabetic retinopathy, excess sugar can damage blood vessels, causing vision loss or even blindness. so remember this: now is the time to get your eyes checked. eye care is important to your long-term diabetes management. see a path forward