Daunte Wright's Girlfriend Broke Jaw In Police 'Brutal Attack'; Starts GoFundMe For Medical Bills

The girlfriend of Daunte Wright, the young Black man shot by an officer during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis earlier this month, allegedly suffered a fractured jaw during the police encounter, her family has said.

Alayna Albrecht-Payton was in her 20-year-old boyfriend's car during the April 11 incident, which her mother, Danielle Albrecht, described as a "brutal attack" that left her daughter with a broken jaw and requiring surgery.

"Alayna watched as her boyfriend was murdered in front of her by police and then she herself was brutally attacked!" Albrecht wrote on the GoFundMe page set up to help cover her daughter's medical expenses, adding that Albrecht-Payton's "lip is cut where the skin meets the lip and also requires surgery to repair."

"Alayna did nothing to deserve this! This kind of treatment is sick," the mother continued. "Protect and serve? Isn't that what the police are supposed to do? Sadly they don't and sadly more lives continue to be lost!"

"The trauma my daughter has suffered could have been avoided! Enough is enough! ... There must be justice!" Albrecht concluded her message.

A lawyer representing Albrecht-Payton, Robert Bennet, said her jaw was wired shut due to the injuries, WCCO-TV reported. He added that Albrecht-Payton witnessing her boyfriend's death has caused her emotional trauma.

The lawyer said he intends to take legal action and that he's requested all body-worn camera footage of Albrecht-Payton's interactions with officers.

Wright was killed when ex-officer Kim Potter, a 26-year Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police veteran, allegedly mistook her handgun for a Taser and opened fire when he attempted to escape police custody.

Potter resigned after the incident and was arrested on April 14 on manslaughter charges. She faces a maximum of 10 years in jail if convicted.

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday it would investigate the Minneapolis Police Department to determine whether the force systematically uses excessive force and engages in unlawful policing.

The announcement came a day after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd. The cop was found guilty of intentionally suffocating Floyd when he pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, resulting in the man's death.

Following the conviction, President Joe Biden called systemic racism a "stain on our nation's soul" in a televised address to the country Tuesday.