Tulsa County’s district attorney, Steve Kunzweiler, said he had filed a first-degree manslaughter charge against Betty Shelby, the white police officer who killed Terence Crutcher last week.
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The chief investigator said in an affidavit that Shelby then approached the auto, “cleared the driver’s side front and then proceeded towards the passenger side of the vehicle”.
Family attorney Demario Solomon Simmons called on the city to “immediately” release funding to outfit police officers with body cameras, noting that police video was critical in showing how Terence Crutcher was killed.
Tiffany Crutcher said the family is “pleased with the charges” and continued saying “We take solace in the outpour of support from our community”.
Crutcher’s family has said he was simply having auto trouble.
An officer flanking her deployed a Taser on Crutcher, who was standing facing his vehicle.
CNN reached out to Scott Wood, the attorney for Shelby, but has not received a response.
Officer Shelby had been assigned to a domestic violence call Friday evening when she came upon Crutcher and his vehicle in the road, according to an affidavit requesting a warrant for Shelby’s arrest.
Now, if the reports are to be believed, it appears the city of Tulsa is, in fact, doing the right thing by charging a police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man. Attorney Benjamin Crump represents Crutcher’s family.
In an effort to collaborate and show transparency, Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan has elected to show video and audio in reference to the officer involved shooting that occurred on September 16th, 2016 resulting in the death of Terrance Crutcher.
Shelby faces at least four years in prison, if convicted, Tulsa World reported.
“Although Mr Crutcher was wearing baggy clothes, officer Shelby was not able to see any weapons or bulges indicating and [sic] weapon was present”, Campbell said.
‘We need to pray for wisdom and guidance’. Footage from the scene does show Crutcher with his hands in the air at one point.
In the video, the 40-year-old Crutcher is seen with his hands up, appearing to comply with police officers and leaning against his auto. A man inside a police helicopter overhead says: “That looks like a bad dude, too”. 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. A press release from Kunzweiler makes sure to remind that “Officer Shelby, although now charged, is presumed to be innocent under the law until a judge or jury determines otherwise”.
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U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has announced that the federal government is looking into Crutcher’s death.
