Oklahoma officer who killed unarmed black man to stand trial
TULSA, Okla. – A white Oklahoma police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man will stand trial for first-degree manslaughter.
A judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence for Tulsa police officer Betty Jo Shelby to be tried for shooting Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16. Shelby will be arraigned Dec. 15.
Prosecutors say Shelby acted unreasonably because Crutcher wasn’t armed or combative and was following commands to raise his hands.
Shelby’s attorneys say she shot Crutcher because she feared for her life, believing Crutcher was reaching into his vehicle for a gun.
Police helicopter video and a dashboard camera showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby on a north Tulsa street with his arms in the air. It doesn’t offer a clear view of when Shelby fired the single shot.
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This story has been corrected to show that the officer is charged with first-degree manslaughter, not second-degree manslaughter.
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