明尼阿波利斯陪审团听取了来自道特·赖特在对前布鲁克林中心警官金·波特的审判中，他的母亲、女友和现在的父亲。

周三，阿不韦·赖特走上证人席，不再谈论当时的情况四月致命的交通堵塞，在此期间波特开枪，杀死了他20岁的儿子，但提供了被称为“生命的火花”的证词。

源于1985年州最高法院的一个案件，明尼苏达州很少允许在判决前，被指控的犯罪受害者的亲人提供这种个人的、通常是情绪化的证词。在大多数州，如果定罪，这种证词只用于量刑时的受害者影响陈述。

生命的火花证词也用于今年早些时候对前明尼阿波利斯警官德里克·肖万的谋杀案审判，当时乔治·弗洛伊德的哥哥出庭为他的人生故事辩护。

在波特审判的第六天快结束时，阿不韦·赖特在谈到他的儿子时声音开始颤抖。

“我们的关系很亲密，”他说，看着州检察官艾琳·埃尔德里奇放在屏幕上的两人在一起的照片。

“你看我是怎么抱着他的?”阿不韦·赖特哽咽着说。“这是在他去世之前。”

在屏幕上显示的另一张照片中——这是检方在开场陈述中使用的一张照片——可以看到道特·赖特抱着他现在2岁的婴儿小道特。

“看到他成为父亲，就像，我为他感到高兴，因为他太高兴了。他对朱尼尔非常满意。这是我成为祖父的机会，”阿不韦·赖特回应说。“他爱他的儿子。”

“我爱道特。他是被爱的，”他继续说道。“我每天都很想他。”

在证人席上，阿不韦·赖特形容他的家人关系紧密，定期举办野餐和电影聚会。

他说:“我们作为一个家庭，一个团体做了很多事情，因为我们就像，我们所拥有的一切。

道特·赖特喜欢吃鸡肉，他的父亲说，并补充道，“我想我们都喜欢。”据泳池报道，法庭上的赖特一家笑了，道特·赖特的母亲凯蒂·布莱恩特擦干了眼泪。

阿不韦·赖特还描述了他和儿子在著名鞋类公司的工作，老赖特是那里的经理。他说，他们一起工作了大约一年，直到新冠肺炎来袭。

“我是他的老板，我很高兴，你知道，有我的儿子来和我一起工作，”他说。

“太棒了。和我儿子一起工作很有挑战性。你知道，我试图让他明白我在哪里工作，我是你的老板，而在家里，我是你的爸爸;这是不同的，”他笑着说。

阿不韦·赖特讲述了一个令人心酸的时刻，当时他不得不强迫儿子扮演老板的角色。

“有一次我送他回家，因为他在工作时打电话。我的意思是，他不应该在工作时打电话，”阿不韦·赖特说。

“我从走廊出来，他还在那里，我就想，‘好吧，你为什么还在这里?’他说，‘好吧，爸爸，我和你一起滚!我不能回家，因为你是我的座驾!"

辩方拒绝盘问阿不韦·赖特。检方可能会在周四休息，辩方可能会开始传唤证人。

凯蒂·布莱恩特还有道特·赖特的女朋友，阿兰娜·阿尔布雷特-佩顿在审判期间，他是袖手旁观检方传唤的证人之一。

波特被控一级和二级过失杀人罪。她对两项指控都不认罪。她的辩护称，波特在致命射杀道特·赖特时，是想抢走她的电击枪，而不是她的枪支，她在事件中使用武力是合理的。

'He was loved': Daunte Wright's father gives 'spark of life' testimony

A Minneapolis jury has heard emotional testimony fromDaunte Wright's mother, girlfriend and now father in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter.

Arbuey Wright took to the witness stand Wednesday not to speak to the circumstances ofthe fatal April traffic stop, during which Potter discharged her firearm, killing his 20-year-old son, but to provide what is known as "spark of life" testimony.

Stemming from a 1985 state Supreme Court case, Minnesota is rare in permitting such personal and often emotional testimony from loved ones of an alleged crime victim in advance of a verdict. In most states, such testimony is reserved for victim impact statements during sentencing if there is a conviction.

Spark of life testimony was also used in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin earlier this year, whenGeorge Floyd's brothertook the stand to give depth to his life story.

Taking to the stand toward the end of day six of the Potter trial, Arbuey Wright's voice began to tremble as he talked about his son.

"We had a close relationship," he said, looking at a photo state attorney Erin Eldridge had put on the screen of the two together.

"You see how, you know, I was holding him?" Arbuey Wright said, choking up. "This was right before he passed away."

In another photo shown on the screen -- one the prosecution used in its opening statement -- Daunte Wright can be seen holding his infant son, Daunte Jr., who is now 2 years old.

"To see him as a father, it was like, I was so happy for him, because he was so happy. He was so happy about Junior. It was my chance to be a grandfather," Arbuey Wright said in response. "He loved his son."

"I loved Daunte. He was loved," he continued. "I miss him a lot, every day."

On the stand, Arbuey Wright described his family as close-knit, hosting regular cookouts and movie get-togethers.

"We did a lot of things as a family, as a group, because we're like, all we have," he said.

Daunte Wright liked chicken, his father said, adding, "I guess we all did." At that, the Wright family in the courtroom laughed and Daunte Wright's mother, Katie Bryant, wiped away tears, according to pool reports.

Arbuey Wright also described working with his son at Famous Footwear, where the elder Wright was manager. They worked together for about a year -- up until COVID-19 hit, he said.

"I was his boss and I was happy, you know, to have my son coming on to work with me," he said.

"It was great. It was challenging, you know, to work with my son. You know, I tried to let him understand the difference between where I work, I'm your boss, and at home, I'm your dad; it's a difference," he said, laughing.

Arbuey Wright recounted one poignant moment when he had to enforce that boss role with his son.

"There was this is one time where I had sent him home because he was on the phone at work. I mean, he wasn't supposed to be on his phone at work," Arbuey Wright said.

"I come out in the hallway and he's still there, and I'm like, 'Well, why are you still here?' And he's like, 'Well, Dad, I rolled with you! I couldn't go home, 'cause you're my ride!'"

The defense declined to cross-examine Arbuey Wright. The prosecution will likely rest on Thursday and the defense may start to call witnesses.

Katie Bryantand Daunte Wright's girlfriend,Alayna Albrecht-Payton, were among the witnesses called to the stand by the prosecution during the trial.

Potter is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. Her defense has claimed that Potter meant to grab her stun gun instead of her firearm when she fatally shot Daunte Wright, and that her use of force was justified in the incident.