Officer Betty Shelby “reacted unreasonably” when she fatally shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher on September 16, prosecutors wrote in an affidavit filed Thursday.
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State Sen. Kevin Matthews, who represents the north Tulsa community where the shooting took place, credits Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan for organizing a meeting with black leaders and the victim’s family two days after the shooting and showing them the video before it was released to the public.
Protesters there and Mayor Jennifer Roberts are calling for police to release the video of a black police officer fatally shooting 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday. “I find it suspicious that they’re quick to charge a woman police officer, Betty Shelby, but the men police officers go free”, wrote @EAMediaLive.
An affidavit from District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler’s office said the officer, who has been on the force in Tulsa for almost five years, “reacted unreasonably” when she opened fire on Crutcher, who did not have a gun when his vehicle stalled in the middle of the street. People are used to talking about police brutality purely within the context of race, she said – so when other identity categories like gender get thrown into the mix, no one’s quite sure what to make of it.
The document indicates that Shelby walked around the vehicle or cleared it, making sure there were no weapons inside that could pose harm to her, Crutcher family attorney Melvin Hall said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Shelby, who is white, was headed to a domestic violence call when she encountered Crutcher’s SUV abandoned on a city street, straddling the center line.
The video evidence and other information were enough for prosecutors on Thursday to charge Shelby with first-degree manslaughter.
“I’m so grateful that as I stood with the family, they want their legacy to be of love and peace, and that’s what we’ve had so far in Tulsa and we want that to continue”, Matthews said.
US PROSECUTORS charged an Oklahoma policewoman with manslaughter on Thursday over last week’s fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, which sparked angry protests.
TCC administrator Joseph Schnetzer talks about the first time he met Terence Crutcher. Damario Solomon-Simmons, the attorney for Crutcher family, said it was “apparent” that Shelby had to be charged because “a crime had been committed”. “Officer Shelby made statements that she was in fear of her life and thought that Mr. Crutcher was going to kill her”.
Shelby has come under heavy scrutiny since she killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man the officer happened to encounter on the road while reporting to another call.
If convicted, Shelby faces between four years and life in prison.
Shelby turned herself into authorities Friday morning, before posting a $50,000 bond.
Officer Betty Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher, who was unarmed. An affidavit from District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler’s office said the officer “reacted unreasonably” when she shot Crutcher, who did not have a gun. A man inside a police helicopter says: “That looks like a bad dude, too”. A voice heard on the police radio says: “Shots fired!”
Wood said he felt the DA was under pressure from the community to charge his client. The officers back away and Crutcher is left unattended on the street for about two minutes before an officer puts on medical gloves and begins to attend to him.
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Legal analyst Mark McBride, based in Beverly Hills, said he believes the charge should have been murder and that Shelby was given a more lenient charge because she is a woman.
