Tulsa officer charged with manslaughter in shooting death of Terence Crutcher

Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby charged with first-degree manslaughter in shooting death of Terence Crutcher

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published September 22, 2016 8:47PM (EDT)

FILE - This undated photo provided by the Parks & Crump, LLC shows Terence Crutcher, right, with his twin sister Tiffany. Crutcher, an unarmed black man was killed by a white Oklahoma officer Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, who was responding to a stalled vehicle. (Courtesy of Crutcher Family/Parks & Crump, LLC via AP, File) (AP)
FILE - This undated photo provided by the Parks & Crump, LLC shows Terence Crutcher, right, with his twin sister Tiffany. Crutcher, an unarmed black man was killed by a white Oklahoma officer Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, who was responding to a stalled vehicle. (Courtesy of Crutcher Family/Parks & Crump, LLC via AP, File) (AP)

Prosecutors announced first-degree manslaughter charges against the Tulsa police officer who fatally shot Terence Crutcher on Friday.

The 40-year-old black father of four was shot to death by Officer Betty Shelby after his car allegedly stalled out in the middle of the road last Friday. Crutcher was unarmed and had his hands in the arms in the air when Shelby discharged her weapon and shot Crutcher once.

Local district attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced the charges against Shelby, a white woman, at a press conference that aired on KOTV-TV.

“A warrant has been issued for her arrest,” Kunzweiler said, adding that “arrangements are being made for her surrender to the Tulsa County Sheriff's department.”

The shooting was captured on dash cam and aerial video, and the Tulsa police chief called it disturbing. Video from police helicopter footage of the shooting features Officer Dave Shelby, husband of Betty Shelby, saying of Crutcher: “Looks like a bad dude, too. Could be on something.”

WARNING: This video contains graphic content and may be upsetting to some viewers. 


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

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Manslaughter Officer Betty Shelby Police Brutality Terence Crutcher Tulsa Video