“Anger,” “disappointment” and “disgust” were the words that Daunte Wright’s mother used to describe her emotions on Tuesday after the Brooklyn Center City Council voted down a resolution that would’ve limited police traffic stops the night prior.

The latest version of the proposal was years in the making for Katie Wright. Her son, at 20 years old, was shot and killed by former officer Kimberly Potter in 2021 after he was initially stopped for expired tabs and having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.

“This wasn’t a win or lose for me, this was a life or death,” Wright said. “It was gut-wrenching.”

Amity Dimock also believed Monday’s council meeting would end in the reform they’ve been waiting for.

Dimock’s son, Kobe Dimock-Heisler, 21, was shot and killed at home in 2019.

“It was the compromise of all compromises with everybody at the table,” Dimock said on Tuesday.

“It’s completely common sense,” Wright said in agreement.

The resolution would’ve barred police from pulling someone over solely for minor violations like expired tabs, a single headlight being out or having something hanging from the rearview mirror. Instead, to visible surprise in the Council Chambers, it failed 3-2.

“Yeah, I was shocked as well,” said Councilmember Marquita Butler on Tuesday.

She and Mayor April Graves were lone “yes” votes.

“I’ve been on the council when both men were killed, and the urgency is only greater as we continue to have these issues,” Butler continued. “So, to sit next to colleagues that don’t have the same sense of urgency is really disappointing.”

Other metro agencies, including the St. Paul Police Department, have implemented similar measures. Data from the Ramsey County Attorney’s office last June revealed that reducing low-level traffic stops decreased racial disparities there.

Asked, Butler said, “I don’t know what’s next, to be honest.”

“What I would have liked to hear from my colleagues is, what is their plan? Since they don’t like the plan that many experts, city staff, the police department had been involved in crafting this compromise,” she added.

The three opposing council members did not provide a reason for voting against the resolution during the meeting, nor did they respond to the question from 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Tuesday afternoon.

The Brooklyn Center Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment either.

“If we don’t do something now, then we’re going to apologize to the next mother,” Wright said, concluding the interview in tears. “And say, ‘You know what, I’m sorry that we didn’t stand up and do the right thing, because now you have to go through it.'”