“Officer Shelby, although now charged, is presumed to be innocent under the law until a judge or jury determines otherwise”, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office said.
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At least two dozen people gathered outside the courthouse after the district attorney announced that the officer was charged.
“The officers who callously failed to render immediate aid when Terence was shot and bleeding to death and the officer in the helicopter who referred to Terence Crutcher as “one bad dude” are evidence of a dehumanizing culture we see all too often”, Kiesel said. Prosecutors say Shelby “reacted unreasonably” when she shot Crutcher, who wasn’t listening to police commands and was walking away from her with his hands held up. According to Tulsa police, Crutcher was unarmed and there was no weapon in the vehicle. It was not clear when she would turn herself in.
Crutcher’s death occurred just days before that of Keith Scott, whose death at the hands of police in Charlotte, North Carolina, led to violent protests.
Police in Kansas City, Missouri are investigating an officer there who in a social media post praised Shelby for a “good shot”, the Kansas City Star reported.
As Crutcher neared his SUV, additional officers arrived on the scene.
Mr Crutcher’s twin sister, Tiffany Crutcher, said her family welcomed the charge.
After summarizing what videos of the shooting show in a probable cause affidavit, Tulsa County district attorney’s office Investigator Doug Campbell came to a conclusion. “She said the other day in her interview with homicide detectives, ‘I was never so scared in my life as in that moment right then'”.
Lawyers for Crutcher’s family said the affidavit includes key points that they believe prove Shelby did not feel a threat from Crutcher.
A warrant has been issued for Shelby’s arrest and arrangements are being made for her to surrender at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department, where she served as an officer.
Shelby thought Crutcher was behaving like someone under the possible influence of a drug, Wood told the World, noting that Crutcher ignored the officer’s commands to stop reaching into his pockets. 19, 2016, that an investigation is underway into the shooting death. A voice heard on police radio says: “Shots fired!” Another officer, Tyler Turnbough, tasered Crutcher before Shelby fired, Jordan said. They also pointed to an enlarged photo from police footage that appears to show Crutcher’s window was rolled up. He compared it to finding justice in Crutcher’s death. He stood beside his driver’s side window as several police officers stood behind him with their weapons raised.
Crutcher’s family said he was waiting for help after his SUV broke down.
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The shooting followed a long history of troubled race relations in Tulsa, dating to the city’s 1921 race riot that left about 300 black residents dead.
