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Tulsa Cop Charged With Manslaughter in Unarmed Man's Death

Tulsa prosecutors charged the cop who fatally shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher with first-degree manslaughter, saying the officer "reacted unreasonably by escalating the situation" and "becoming emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted."

By Brian Dowling

Tulsa prosecutors charged the cop who fatally shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher with first-degree manslaughter, saying the officer "reacted unreasonably by escalating the situation" and "becoming emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted."

Officer Betty Shelby repeatedly told Crutcher to keep his hands out of his pockets and stop walking back to his car, according to court papers filed yesterday in Tulsa County Court.

Crutcher returned to his SUV with his hands in the air, and Shelby fired one shot at Crutcher, striking him in the right lung after another officer fired his Taser, court papers say.

In an interview with police three days after the shooting, Shelby told investigators "she was in fear of her life and thought Mr. Crutcher was going to kill her," according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter because she "acted unreasonable by escalating the situation from a confrontation with Mr. Crutcher, who was not responding to verbal commands and was walking away from her with his hands held up, becoming emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted."

The Rev. Ray Owens, who held a vigil Wednesday at his Metropolitan Baptist Church, told the Herald the district attorney's charges are a sign "we are moving in a better direction."

"I am also really pleased thus far that we have not seen Tulsa erupt in violence," Owens said. "Some of us say to those in power, 'Patience runs thin,' and without just actions from people in power, then we can only expect that after a while Tulsa would go the way of Charlotte."

(c)2016 the Boston Herald

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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