An affidavit said Shelby became “emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted” on a Tulsa street while dealing with Crutcher, an unarmed black man, on September 16.
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Another officer who perceived the same threat deployed his Taser at the same time Shelby fired her weapon, Wood said.
In the criminal complaint, the Tulsa D.A. says Shelby’s “fear resulted in her unreasonable actions” which led to her shooting Crutcher. And police said Mr Crutcher did not have a gun on him or in his vehicle.
Video footage of the shooting from a helicopter and dash cam shows Crutcher had his hands up before the officer fired on him.
In a court filing, the Tulsa district attorney’s chief investigator Doug Campbell said Mr Crutcher was shot when reaching into his car’s driver’s side front window. However, the family’s attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons refuted Shelby’s claims saying that video evidence showed that the window was rolled up. Although PCP was found in Crutcher’s vehicle, no weapon was recovered either on his person or in his SUV.
She did, and was released on $50,000 bond shortly. Shelby’s charge carries a potential sentence of four years to life.
Phil Turner, a Chicago-based defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, says that in acting quickly, prosecutors may partly have wanted to allay outrage in the city and avoid the kind of violent protests Charlotte, North Carolina, has seen over another recent police shooting of a black man.
“Although she is charged, she is presumed innocent until a judge or jury determines otherwise”, Kunzweiler said at the press conference when he announced the charges against Shelby. The man warned that it was going to blow up, the caller said. According to an arrest affidavit, Shelby escalated the situation and overreacted. Attorneys for Crutcher’s family said even if there were drugs in the vehicle, it wouldn’t justify the shooting.
Attorneys for Crutcher’s family said Thursday they will be seeking a “vigorous prosecution” that results in a conviction.
The family requested contributions be made to a memorial fund for Crutcher’s four children.
Demonstrations in Tulsa since Mr Crutcher’s death have been consistently peaceful.
At that point, Shelby pulled out her service weapon and followed Crutcher to the vehicle.
A police officer responsible for shooting an unarmed motorist to death in Oklahoma last week is now facing criminal charges.
I appreciate their efforts as well as the District Attorneys usual thorough evaluation of the rules of law for which we are all accountable, Bartlett said in a written statement.
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In the videos, the officers surround Crutcher, who suddenly drops to the ground. “I think (prosecutors) must have thought charges were warranted”, he said. Officers appeared to wait more than one minute before approaching Mr Crutcher’s body.
