05-22-2017, 10:59 AM
Officer Betty Shelby was acquitted by a Tulsa jury last week in the September 2016 shooting death of Terence Crutcher. She is going back to work on the force -- not in the field though, reportedly.
The jury, which was multi-racial, released a letter through the foreman after the verdict. The foreman indicated that the jury did not feel that Shelby was blameless, but didn't feel she was guilty of manslaughter either.
![[Image: crutchershelby.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&...204&crop=1]](https://localtvkfor.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/crutchershelby.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=370&h=204&crop=1)
Shelby (right) said she feared for her life when Crutcher failed to follow her commands repeatedly and she could tell he was on PCP. She said he kept reaching into his pockets. She said she wasn't trained to use a taser in such circumstances; she was trained to shoot (though none of the other officers on the scene feared for their lives or felt compelled to shoot).
The original police narrative that Crutcher was reaching into his vehicle when he was shot was proven false by video. Instead, his hands were up against his vehicle.
The prosecutors say they respect the process and the jury's verdict. The DA said it was a difficult case. The family says Shelby murdered Crutcher and got away with it. None of the witnesses nor the video indicate that Crutcher made an aggressive move towards Shelby and he was unarmed. The family plans to file a civil suit against Shelby and the PD.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulsa-cop-ac...n-to-work/
http://heavy.com/news/2017/05/betty-shel...ict-trial/
The jury, which was multi-racial, released a letter through the foreman after the verdict. The foreman indicated that the jury did not feel that Shelby was blameless, but didn't feel she was guilty of manslaughter either.
Shelby (right) said she feared for her life when Crutcher failed to follow her commands repeatedly and she could tell he was on PCP. She said he kept reaching into his pockets. She said she wasn't trained to use a taser in such circumstances; she was trained to shoot (though none of the other officers on the scene feared for their lives or felt compelled to shoot).
The original police narrative that Crutcher was reaching into his vehicle when he was shot was proven false by video. Instead, his hands were up against his vehicle.
The prosecutors say they respect the process and the jury's verdict. The DA said it was a difficult case. The family says Shelby murdered Crutcher and got away with it. None of the witnesses nor the video indicate that Crutcher made an aggressive move towards Shelby and he was unarmed. The family plans to file a civil suit against Shelby and the PD.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulsa-cop-ac...n-to-work/
http://heavy.com/news/2017/05/betty-shel...ict-trial/