Haynes runs for 128 yards, catches go-ahead scoring pass, as Georgia Tech gives Duke 1st loss, 24-14

ATLANTA (AP) — Haynes King threw a go-ahead 4-yard scoring pass to Jamal Haynes early in the fourth quarter and Georgia Tech overcame two touchdown passes by Maalik Murphy to beat Duke 24-14 on Saturday night, handing the Blue Devils their first loss.

Sahmir Hagans gave Duke a 14-10 lead on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Murphy late in the third quarter.

Haynes, who ran for 128 yards on 19 carries, capped a 14-play drive which covered 85 yards by catching the soft pass in the right side of the end zone for a 17-14 lead. King padded the lead with a 9-yard scoring pass to Eric Singleton Jr. with 6:36 remaining.

Georgia Tech (4-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) dominated the first half and then recovered after blowing a 10-0 lead.

Duke (5-1, 1-1) failed to extend its best start to a season since winning its first seven games in 1994.

Haynes matched his career high on his 22nd birthday and led the Yellow Jackets' dominance on the ground.

Haynes was presented a birthday cake on the field after the game and gave credit to his offensive line for his big night.

“We came out and did what we have to do,” Haynes said. “We have a great mentality in our running back room and I have trust in all our backs. ... A big shoutout to the offensive line.”

Georgia Tech outrushed Duke 245-74 and claimed a 412-279 advantage in total yards. Chad Alexander added 59 yards.

“The tailbacks going for as many yards as they did was ultimately the telling stat,” said Duke coach Manny Diaz.

Diaz said the Blue Devils faded after surging to a 14-10 lead.

“Once we got going we looked like we were going to be hard to stop the rest of the day,” Diaz said. “We just could not keep the momentum going.”

King was busy as a runner and passer, often taking off on keepers. He had 12 carries for 30 yards while completing 23 of 31 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Backup quarterback Zach Pyron added a 2-yard scoring run to cap the Yellow Jackets' opening drive.

Murphy passed for more than 200 yards for the sixth consecutive game, completing 18 of 31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Ahmari Harvey ended Duke's last possession with an interception with 11 seconds remaining.

Duke's Todd Pelino was wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt with 3:58 remaining.

Duke: Murphy suffered his first loss after posting a 7-0 record, including two wins at Texas before his transfer. Murphy had too little help from the Blue Devils' running game. Star Thomas had 14 carries for only 48 yards.

Georgia Tech: King's quick and mostly accurate passes were effective when paired with Haynes' strong runs. Jordan van den Berg had a third-down sack of Murphy late in the first half to take the Blue Devils out of field goal position and added another tackle for loss. The Yellow Jackets improved to 11-1 following a loss under coach Brent Key.

Duke: Hosts Florida State on Oct. 18. Clemson defeated Florida State 29-13 on Saturday.

Georgia Tech: Visits North Carolina on Oct. 12. The Tar Heels fell to 3-3 and 0-2 in the ACC with a 34-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) stiff arms Duke Blue Devils linebacker Cameron Bergeron (4) in the first quarter of a football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron (5) celebrates in the end zone after a rushing touchdown in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (2) runs down the sidelines after a punt return in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs the ball after a catch in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) drops back to pass in the first quarter of a football game against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) drops back to pass in the first quarter of a football game against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) breaks a tackle in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (2) stretches out for a pass in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) runs the ball in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) runs the ball in the first quarter of a football game against the Duke BlueDevils, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Minnesota police officer who was convicted of killing a Black motorist when she used her handgun instead of her taser during a traffic stop is out of prison and delivering presentations at law enforcement conferences, stirring up a heated debate over how officers punished for misconduct should atone for their misdeeds.

After Kim Potter served her sentence for killing Daunte Wright, she met with the prosecutor who charged her case. That former prosecutor, Imran Ali, said Potter wanted to do something to help other officers avoid taking a life. Ali saw the presentation as a path toward redemption for police officers who have erred and an opportunity to promote healing in communities already shaken by police misconduct.

But Katie Wright, Daunte's mother, said the plan amounts to an enraging scheme where her son’s killer would turn a profit from his death and dredge up painful memories in the process.

“I think that Kim Potter had her second chance. She got to go home with her children. That was her second chance,” Wright said. “I think that when we’re looking at police officers, when they’re making quote-unquote mistakes, they still get to live in our community. They still get to continue their lives. That’s their second chance. We don’t have a second chance to be able to bring our loved ones back.”

Potter, who did not respond to phone and email messages, had been set to deliver her presentation to a law enforcement agency in Washington state when it was abruptly canceled in September after news reports generated criticism. But other law enforcement groups, including one of the largest in Minnesota, have hosted the presentation and are continuing to invite Potter to speak.

Some see canceling her presentation as short-sighted, saying she could share a cautionary tale with others who have to make life-or-death decisions in the field.

“This is the definition of why I decided to walk away. You have somebody that recognizes the need for reform, recognizes the need for redemption, recognizes the need to engage. And still,” Ali said. “If you’re in law enforcement in this country, there is no redemption.”

Ali initially was co-counsel in the case against Potter. But he resigned, saying “vitriol” and “partisan politics” made it hard to pursue justice. Ali is now a law enforcement consultant and said he is working to help departments implement changes that could prevent more officers from making Potter’s mistake.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office took over the prosecution of Potter after Ali resigned, has said the former officer's public expression of remorse could help the community heal.

Wright was killed on April 11, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from where the officer who killed George Floyd was on trial. Wright's killing ignited protests as communities in Minneapolis and beyond were still reeling from Floyd’s murder. A jury later found Potter guilty of manslaughter. A judge said Potter never intended to hurt Wright and sentenced her to two years in prison. She was released after 16 months and later connected with Ali.

“I was like, wow. Even after being convicted, even after being driven out of your home, even after having so many death threats against you and having been incarcerated, you just don’t want to go away,” Ali said.

The pair have become a fixture at Minnesota Sheriff’s Association events. They delivered training sessions at conferences in June and September, with a future training scheduled in October. They also took their presentation out of state in May when Potter presented at a law enforcement conference in Indiana, event agendas show.

Jeff Storms, Wright’s attorney, said the description of the Washington training session in the contract prepared by Ali’s law firm reads more like an advertisement tailored for police officers who feel embattled, rather than a heartfelt story of Potter’s regrets.

“The officer, and the prosecutor who quit in protest, will deliver a dynamic presentation on the truth of what occurred, the increased violence and non-compliance directed towards law enforcement, the importance of training, and steps we can take in the future,” says the contract for the training session, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

That passage suggests Ali is engineering support for Potter and his law firm, Storms said.

“They profit from law enforcement training. And so to say this is simply about sort of a redemption arc for Ms. Potter in doing this training, it sounds really hard to believe that that’s the case," Storms said.

Ali’s firm proposed a $8,000 charge for the training session, which includes speaking fees and travel costs, the contract says.

“To say my firm is trying to benefit off an $8,000 contract is ridiculous,” Ali said.

He did not say how much money Potter would earn, but said the amount was far less than what she might earn telling her story through a book deal or another project. Ali declined to show the AP the full presentation he and Potter had been set to deliver in Washington. But he described Potter’s opening line, which would read: “I killed Daunte Wright. I’m not proud of it. And neither should you be.”

Ali said he is committed to helping law enforcement agencies implement changes that would prevent more officers from making Potter’s mistake. The backlash to Potter telling her story at the training session speaks to a view among some that redemption for those convicted of crimes does not extend to police officers, Ali said.

“We can give the benefit of the doubt to people that are former Ku Klux Klan members or former skinheads that come in and educate, sometimes even our youth,” Ali said. “But we cannot give law enforcement that chance.”

Rachel Moran, a professor specializing in police accountability at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, said the perspectives of victims and their families should be considered by law enforcement agencies when they decide who to include at training sessions. But Potter's voice might be able to penetrate a law enforcement culture that is skeptical of outside criticism, she said

“Police officers culturally do have a pattern of not wanting to hear outside perspectives and not believing other people can understand the situation," she added. “So to hear from someone who is very much in their shoes, who’s actually willing to admit an error, I think that has potential to be heard more by officers than an outsider.”

In an interview, James Stuart, executive director of the Minnesota Sheriff's Association, said Potter's upcoming presentation would go on, despite the blowback. His organization has a responsibility to learn from the “national moment of upheaval” sparked by Potter's killing of Wright.

“She'll be the first to say she's not a hero and it was a horrific tragic accident,” Stuart said. “I understand the concerns and the criticisms, but I would also hope they could understand the value of learning from mistakes and making sure that no other families find themselves in that same situation.”

Former prosecutor Imran Ali discussed a use of force training he co-presents with former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)

FILE - Katie Bryant, Daunte Wright's mother, is surrounded by community members and activists at the apartment building where activists say Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu lives after former officer Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in prison, Feb. 18, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Nicole Neri, File)