She then saw the SUV parked in the middle of the street, obstructing traffic in both directions, Wood said.
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“This is a small victory”, Crutcher’s twin sister Tiffany told reporters.
“We are happy that charges were brought, but let me be clear, the family wants and deserves full justice”, Solomon-Simmons said.
She was actually on her way to another call when she encountered Terence.
A Taser was deployed, followed by a single shot by Shelby when Crutcher reached inside his vehicle, police officials said.
BREAKING: Tulsa officer Betty Shelby charged with first-degree manslaughter in death of Terence Crutcher, DA says.
Crutcher family attorney Melvin Hall said the affidavit shows that Shelby had cleared the vehicle of any threats before she tried to talk to Crutcher.
The family’s statements arrived a day after a police official told the Tulsa World that officers discovered PCP in Crutcher’s vehicle. He issued a warrant for Shelby’s arrest.
Police dashboard camera and helicopter video footage appear to show Crutcher’s hands raised when he was shot. Officers, who were responding to an unrelated call, stopped when they saw Crutcher’s vehicle. Crutcher was mumbling to himself and wouldn’t answer Shelby’s questions, the document says.
Police say he refused to drop his gun but his family say he was unarmed and holding a book.
Dashcam and aerial footage of the shooting and its aftermath showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby with his arms in the air.
Officers at the scene say Crutcher was acting erratically and was not following commands.
“Officer Shelby acted unreasonably by escalating the situation”, the affidavit reads, adding that “she became emotionally involved to the point that she over-reacted”.
Shelby’s attorney, Scott Wood, told the Tulsa World that Shelby opened fire and another officer used a stun gun when Crutcher’s “left hand goes through the auto window”.
Amid unrest in North Carolina over a separate killing of an African American man by police, the shooting of Crutcher has been widely criticized.
The Tulsa Police Department said it would make a determination on her employment status after an internal affairs review.
“Shelby, who is white, was one of four police officers who were standing at the rear bumper of Crutcher’s auto as he stood next to his vehicle around 7:45 p.m. Friday”. Nearly immediately, a woman’s voice yells on the police radio: “Shots fired!” Crutcher, his white shirt stained with blood, lies on the ground alone and unattended for almost two minutes before an officer puts on medical gloves and begins to examine him.
Shelby, who had training in drug recognition, has claimed she believed Crutcher was on drugs at the time of the incident. If convicted, the first-degree manslaughter charge carries a minimum punishment of four years in prison.
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“Despite the heightened tensions felt by all, which seemingly beg for an emotional response and reaction, our community has consistently demonstrated a willingness to respect the judicial process”, he said during a press conference. And we must remember that in our justice system, officer Shelby is innocent until proven guilty.
