Betty Shelby, the police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma – who shot to death an unarmed African American last week, is to be charged with manslaughter.
The Tulsa County District Attorney announced the decision at a news conference to mark the end of the internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Steve Kunzweiler announced that Officer Shelby would be charged with first degree felony manslaughter, and that a warrant has been issued for her arrest.
The affidavit submitted after the investigation made some determinations into what transpired on the day.
“…Officer Shelby reacted unreasonably 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 over reacted. Although Mr. Crutcher was wearing baggy clothes, Officer Shelby was not able to see any weapons or bulges indicating [a] weapon was present,” the affidavit reads.
40 year old Terrence Crutcher was fatally shot by Tulsa police last Friday, after his car stalled in the middle of a highway and he was stopped by Police. His death sparked outrage after footage emerged showing him walking away from officers with his arms raised, but got shot anyway.
“I pray this decision provides some peace to the Crutcher family and the people of Tulsa,” Kunzweiler added. “But we must remain patient as the case works its way through the justice system, where a jury likely will be asked to decide whether officer Betty Shelby is guilty of the crime.
“And we must remember that in our justice system, officer Shelby is innocent until proven guilty.”
Shelby faces a sentence of four years to life imprisonment if convicted on the charge.