Killing of Terence Crutcher
Terence Crutcher lying on the ground next to the driver's side of the vehicle, moments after he was shot. From aerial footage taken by Tulsa police department.
DateSeptember 16, 2016 (2016-09-16)
Location36th Street North and Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Coordinates36°12′22.1″N 95°57′34.6″W / 36.206139°N 95.959611°W / 36.206139; -95.959611
TypeHomicide by shooting, police killing
ParticipantsBetty Jo Shelby (shooter) and Tyler Turnbough (tased Crutcher)
DeathsTerence Crutcher
AccusedBetty Jo Shelby
ChargesFirst-degree manslaughter
VerdictNot guilty

On September 16, 2016, Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old black motorist, was shot and killed by police officer Betty Jo Shelby in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was unarmed, standing near his vehicle near the side of the street.

The shooting led to protests in Tulsa. Six days later, on September 22, the Tulsa County District Attorney charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter after the shooting was labeled a homicide. On May 17, 2017, a jury found her not guilty of first-degree manslaughter.

Background

Terence Crutcher in August 2014

Terence Tafford Crutcher, Sr. (August 16, 1976 – September 16, 2016) was a 40-year-old man.[1][2][3] Crutcher's twin sister, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, described him as a father and said that at the time of his death he was enrolled to study music at Tulsa Community College.[4][5] According to his sister, Crutcher was involved in his church and sang in the choir.[6]

The officers involved in the incident at Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 16, 2016, were Betty Shelby and Tyler Turnbough.[7] Turnbough became an officer in 2009 and Shelby in 2011.[2][3]

Incident

At 7:36 p.m.[7] on September 16, 2016, police received a 9-1-1 call about an abandoned vehicle in the middle of 36th Street North just west of Lewis Avenue.[8][9][10][11] One caller said: "Somebody left their vehicle running in the middle of the street with the doors wide open...The doors are open. The vehicle is still running. It's an SUV. It's like in the middle of the street. It's blocking traffic...There was a guy running from it, saying it was going to blow up. But I think he's smoking something. I got out and was like, 'Do you need help?' and he was like, 'Come here, come here, I think it's going to blow up.'"[12] Another caller said: "There is a car that looks like somebody just jumped out of it and left it in the center of the road on 36th Street North and North Lewis Avenue...It's dead in the middle of the street...It's a Navigator. The driver-side door is open like somebody jumped out. It's on the yellow line, blocking traffic."[12][13]

Police stated that Crutcher kept reaching into his pocket, refused to show his hands, walked towards his vehicle despite being told to stop, and then angled towards and reached into his vehicle.[14][15][16] Critics have disputed this saying that the driver's side window was up when Crutcher was shot.[17] However, the Jury concluded "It is clear to the Jury after intensely studying the video, still photos, and testimony that the windows to the SUV driven by Terrance Crutcher that evening were open and that the jury believes from said evidence that Terrance Crutcher did in fact reach into the window disobeying the instructions of the police officers on location."[18]

Officers in the helicopter conversed with each other: "This guy's still walking and isn't following commands." "It's time for a taser, I think." "I've got a feeling that's about to happen." "That looks like a bad dude, too, could be on something."[5][7][9]

At this point, Turnbough tased Crutcher, and Shelby shot him.[7]

Approximately two minutes after the shot, an officer checked Crutcher's pockets, and approximately 45 seconds later, someone crouched to offer aid.[9] Police said Crutcher died in the hospital later that day.[1][7] Tulsa police chief Chuck Jordan said no weapon was recovered from Crutcher's body or vehicle.[19]

Immediate aftermath

Police dashcam and helicopter video as well as the dispatch audio were released by police three days after the event on September 19, 2016.[1][7] Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan called the video "disturbing" and "difficult to watch".[7] The officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave.[7]

Crutcher's twin sister said at a press conference, "You all want to know who that big, bad dude was? That big, bad dude was my twin brother. That big, bad dude was a father. That big, bad dude was a son. That big, bad dude was enrolled at Tulsa Community College — just wanting to make us proud. That big, bad dude loved God. That big, bad dude was at church, singing, with all his flaws, every week."[20]

The Tulsa Police Department started a criminal investigation of the shooting.[21] Homicide Sergeant Dave Walker stated that PCP had been recovered from Crutcher's car.[22] Shelby's attorney had previously stated that she thought Crutcher might be under the influence of PCP based on what she learned during her drug-recognition training.[16][22] Crutcher's father had stated in a 2012 affidavit that his son had a history of PCP use.[22][23]

The police department paid $216,000 in overtime costs for 10 days after the death for services related to increased demonstrations, staffing of patrols, marches, Crutcher's funeral, and news conferences by the district attorney and Crutcher family during which the Incident Management Team also had a command post operating.[24]

Reactions

The United States Department of Justice opened a civil rights probe into the shooting.[3][19] However, the Department of Justice later determined that no civil rights charge would be filed against any individual involved.[25][26] Crutcher's twin sister said that federal Department of Justice officials told her (in her words): "because of the way the laws are written that it was almost next to impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in these cases of police misconduct and use of force."[27]

Dozens of protestors gathered on September 19 by the courthouse.[3][28] Ahead of the release of the video and audio recordings, the Tulsa chapter of Black Lives Matter held a protest outside the courthouse.[7]

Crutcher's family, protestors, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma called for Shelby to be charged with his death.[28][29]

Criminal charges and trial

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter.[30][31] Shelby turned herself in at the Tulsa County Jail on the early morning of September 23, 2016, where she was booked, posted a bond of $50,000 and was released.[32] Shelby was accused of "unlawfully and unnecessarily" shooting Crutcher.[33] On May 17, 2017, a jury found Betty Shelby not guilty.[34]

Betty Shelby quit the Tulsa Police Department soon after the trial and became a Rogers County, Oklahoma Sheriff's Deputy.[35]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Terence Crutcher, black man shot once by a Tulsa police officer, was unarmed". BBC. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Hawkins, Derek (September 19, 2016). "Black man shot by Tulsa police had hands 'in the air,' says pastor who reviewed video of the shooting". Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Man fatally shot by Tulsa police had no gun, chief says". CBS. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ Shankar, Vedantam. "Podcast". NPR - The Hidden Brain. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Juozapavicius, Justin (September 19, 2016). "Tulsa Police Say Man Had No Gun; Video Show He Had Hands Up". ABC. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Terence Crutcher remembered as church-going, family man". NBC News. September 20, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Salinger, Tobias (September 19, 2016). "Video released in fatal police shooting of unarmed Oklahoma man Terence Crutcher (WARNING - GRAPHIC)". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ "TPD Identifies Man Shot And Killed By Tulsa Police In Friday Incident". KOTV-DT. September 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Chappell, Bill (September 20, 2016). "After Police Killing Of Unarmed Man, Tulsa Chief Promises To 'Achieve Justice'". NPR. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ Stack, Liam (September 19, 2016). "Video Released in Terence Crutcher's Killing by Tulsa Police". New York Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  11. ↑ Davis, Dave (September 19, 2016). "Tulsa Group Protests Police Shooting Of Terence Crutcher". NewsOn6.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Cleary, Tom (September 20, 2016). "LISTEN: Terence Crutcher Shooting 911 Calls & Dispatch Audio". Heavy.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  13. ↑ Cleary, Tom (September 20, 2016). "LISTEN: Terence Crutcher Shooting 911 Calls & Dispatch Audio". Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  14. ↑ "The Latest: Attorney: Release any police video of shooting". Washington Post. Associated Press. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  15. ↑ Blau, Max; Morris, Jason; Shoichet, Catherine E. (September 20, 2016). "Tulsa police shooting investigated by Justice Department". CNN. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Tulsa Officer Shares Her Side of the Story in Terence Crutcher's Shooting". ABC News. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  17. ↑ Corey Jones and Samantha Vicent (September 23, 2016). "Whether Terence Crutcher's SUV window was up or down still questioned; Shelby did have Taser, police say". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Read full letter from jury that acquitted Tulsa police officer in fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher". KFOR.com Oklahoma City. May 22, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  19. 1 2 Barajas, Joshua (September 19, 2016). "Tulsa police release graphic footage of fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher". PBS. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Tiffany Crutcher sister of Terence Crutcher who was shot by Tulsa Police talks at a press conference". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  21. ↑ Rooney, Kyle (September 20, 2016). "Tulsa police open criminal investigation on shooting". Hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 "Police say PCP found in vehicle occupied by Terence Crutcher on Friday". Tulsa World. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Terence Crutcher was turning life around before fatal Tulsa police shooting, family says". The Chicago Tribune. September 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  24. ↑ Jones, Corey (October 17, 2016). "How much did Tulsa police spend on overtime in aftermath of Terence Crutcher killing?". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  25. ↑ "DOJ: No civil rights charge in deadly Tulsa police shooting". AP NEWS. March 1, 2019.
  26. ↑ Liam Stack (September 16, 2016). "Tulsa Police Officer Who Killed Unarmed Black Man Won't Face Civil Rights Charges - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  27. ↑ Crutcher, Tiffany (May 13, 2019). "Opening Remarks of Dr. Tiffany Crutcher for the 21st Century Policing Briefing Rayburn House Office Building Room 2060" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives Document Repository. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  28. 1 2 "Latest: Protesters want arrest of officer in Tulsa shooting". Fox News. Associated Press. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  29. ↑ Drakeford, Cortney (September 19, 2016). "Terence Crutcher Graphic VIDEO: Family Demands Justice, Police Announce Officer Killed Unarmed Oklahoma Man". International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  30. ↑ Chappell, Bill (September 22, 2016). "Tulsa Police Officer Will Face Manslaughter Charge In Unarmed Man's Death". NPR. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  31. ↑ "2014 Oklahoma Statutes :: Title 21. Crimes and Punishments :: §21-715. Manslaughter in the first degree a felony". Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  32. ↑ Ana Cabrera; Catherine E. Shoichet; Sheena Jones. "Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby booked, released on bond". CNN. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  33. ↑ Park, Madison; Jones, Sheena (September 23, 2016). "Tulsa officer Betty Shelby booked, released on bond". CNN. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  34. ↑ Levenson, Eric; Gamble, Justin (May 17, 2017). "Tulsa cop not guilty in fatal shooting of unarmed black man". CNN. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Betty Shelby teaching course for officers on 'surviving the aftermath of a critical incident'". tulsaworld.com. August 24, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
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