Tulsa Police Officer Charged With Manslaughter In Terrence Crutcher Death

This sure happened quickly, they must not want riots like Charlotte, where the police actually had a reason. My theory was that she had her finger on the trigger instead of on the outside of the trigger guard.

TULSA, Oklahoma - The Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced he charged Officer Betty Shelby with first-degree manslaughter in the death of Terence Crutcher.

I spent the majority of my life there (albeit further south) although that's about to be untrue. It always seemed so chill.

Source

that's my hypothesis too, I'm guessing that when the other officer fired his taser she flinched and squeezed the trigger.

a reply to: bonsaihorn

I think this one was pretty cut and dry, so a quick indictment seems reasonable.

Btw its a trigger guard and the finger isn't to be placed around it, but above it...just an fyi

Eta: i would agree that she probably had placed her finger on the trigger, no reason too though in this case.

a reply to: bonsaihorn

Glad she's being charged.. now to see if she gets convicted

I also hope this prevents her from ever becoming a Law Enforcement Officer again, unless she goes through LOTS of training and earns the privilege of holding such a risky position where the public's lives are in her hands.

Hope you learn your lesson and it keeps you up at night, Betty Shelby

You could hear it in her voice that she screwed up when she said shots fired. Either she thought she had her taser or she accidentally fired. Either way there is no good excuse with current evidence.

Well, a race riot in Tulsa would not be a first.

Lets hope history does not repeat itself!

Tulsa Race Riots

He was surrounded...

The fact that only one officer felt the need to use her firearm says it all in my opinion.

originally posted by: Slanter
that's my hypothesis too, I'm guessing that when the other officer fired his taser she flinched and squeezed the trigger.

She probably thought his reaction to the tazer was an aggressive move and shot him.

I also think they tried to cover up this killing by planting drugs.

For the most part folks in Oklahoma are laid back. We had some BLM demonstrations here not to long ago and it remained peaceful with both sides voicing their views in a civilized manner and actually taking pics together by the end of the day. Our police departments have been making an effort of going door to door and meeting the people they are serving and trying to be more active and accessible in their communities.
Plus, we have no problem putting bad cops behind bars, just ask Daniel Holtzclaw

a reply to: OkieDokie

Fellow Okie here, theres some good old boys for sure but its not the norm IMHO. Too many mixed families from White/Black/Native, most folk have kin from all three groups; I do.

Love the officers face on the linked page, I hope he gets a cuddlebuddy in his cell to help him dry those tears.

Certainly a far smarter charge than the ones the East Coast idiot prosecutors have been endlessly reaching for. When something like this happens, it is far more likely to have been a case of a bad shoot than that some cop was just itching to shoot someone for the wrong skin color.

I'm not defending her actions but why, just why, can't people just listen to what the cops are telling them to do?? If you do not cooperate with them then yes I feel you are putting the cops life possibly at risk too. How are they supposed to know that you are not armed or are looking to kill a cop.

I was pulled over a few months back for expired registration (honest mistake). It was the first time I had been pulled over in 10-15 years. Did it cross my mind to make things go smoothly to listen to what the officer says? Abso-#ing-lutely!! I had my hands on the wheel where he could see them clear as day and did not reach for anything until I was specifically instructed. I was on my way in 5 minutes.

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

Again, too many people grow up without learning about respect and when to show it.

There is a time and place to defy authority, but when you are being pulled over or questioned and you have done nothing is not the time.

If what I am hearing about Charlotte is true, the cops were there for someone else? So why would that guy have any reason to NOT cooperate and yet he defied authority in a dangerous situation.

a reply to: bonsaihorn

First degree though? A jury will never convict. More likely second or third.

a reply to: UnBreakable

Was just saying to my friend the same thing...

When they charge these trigger happy cops with first degree manslaughter or murder they'll never get a conviction.

Which will lead to more protests and riots.
It's a viscous circle.

originally posted by: UnBreakable
a reply to: bonsaihorn

First degree though? A jury will never convict. More likely second or third.

It will never see a jury trial. Plea bargained down to a slap on the wrist offence and cut loose....

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
a reply to: UnBreakable

Was just saying to my friend the same thing...

When they charge these trigger happy cops with first degree manslaughter or murder they'll never get a conviction.

Which will lead to more protests and riots.
It's a viscous circle.

The reason I think, there was no pre-meditation on her part. I think it was accidental, an itchy trigger finger. You could hear it in her voice afterwards, she knew she f'd up. It was a mistake, albeit a fatal one. My prediction: plea bargain to involuntary manslaughter and a nice settlement with the family from Tulsa for $5 million.

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
I'm not defending her actions but why, just why, can't people just listen to what the cops are telling them to do?? If you do not cooperate with them then yes I feel you are putting the cops life possibly at risk too. How are they supposed to know that you are not armed or are looking to kill a cop.

Mr. Dokie and I were just talking about this the other day. I don't know why they don't start a program to go into public schools and teach kids how to interact with a police officer. Learning what to do during a traffic stop should be part of the curriculum for drivers ed. Sadly, many in the younger generation haven't been taught what we would think of as basic knowledge. I know as a kid we had officers that came out every year for D.A.R.E. They brought the dogs and even the police helicopter one year. We spent all day talking with the cops and all of us kids got coloring pages and t-shirts at the end of the day. I'm not saying go full scale indoctrination, but I think some interaction from police at a young age, along with some education could go a long way in helping relations.

I am going to wait for more info to come out. I have no problem with her being charged.
I would like to see toxicology results for the deceased, with all the talk about pcp use being suspected.

a reply to: OkieDokie

D.A.R.E. was before my time as a little kid, but when I was in high school, I got selected to be a student ambassador for the program. It was lots of fun to go to the grade schools with the officer in charge.