Officer Betty Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher, who was unarmed. Photo courtesy of Heavy.
Summary: The police officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher has been charged with manslaughter.
A female Tulsa police officer has been charged with manslaughter for shooting an unarmed black man. The Tulsa County District Attorney said that she had “reacted unreasonably” and “overreacted.”
Officer Betty Shelby shot Terence Crutcher last Friday. Crutcher’s vehicle had been stranded on the Oklahoma highway when Shelby and a fellow officer arrived on the scene. They had been called for an unrelated domestic disturbance when they saw him.
Video surfaced showing Crutcher, 40, walking with his hands raised as he moved towards his SUV. Shelby’s partner had tasered Crutcher, but Shelby shot and killed him. NBC News reports that Shelby has been charged with first degree manslaughter. According to court documents, she has already been released on a $50,000 bond.
“In the matter of the death of Terence Crutcher, I determine that the filing of the felony crime of manslaughter in the first degree against the Tulsa Police officer Betty Shelby is warranted,” District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said at a press conference on Thursday.
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan said on Monday that Shelby had reported Crutcher was not cooperative with her.
According to an affidavit, Shelby and her partner had come upon Crutcher and his vehicle, and when she stopped to ask him questions, he allegedly was mumbling to himself. She claimed that Crutcher walked towards his vehicle and reached into his driver’s side front window when she shot him.
Video of the shooting showed that Crutcher’s car windows were up. His family’s lawyer said that was evidence that he was never reaching.
Shelby’s attorney, Scott Wood, said that Shelby believed Crutcher was on drugs at the time. Police Sergeant David Walker confirmed on Tuesday that police found PCP in Crutcher’s vehicle, but the investigation on whether there were drugs in his system at the time of the shooting is still pending.
Crutcher’s family expressed gratitude that Terence’s killer was charged.
“We understand that nothing will bring him back,” Terence’s sister Tiffany said. “Our goal now as a family is to ensure that this never happens to another innocent citizen … We lost a wonderful soul.”
Shelby has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
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Source: NBC News