Unarmed Black Man Whose Car Stalled Killed by White Cop

Protesters are calling for criminal charges
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 19, 2016 6:32 PM CDT
Protesters Call for Arrest of White Officer Who Fatally Shot Unarmed Black Man
Police work the scene of a shooting late Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 in Tulsa, Okla. A Tulsa police officer shot and killed a black man who ignored repeated requests to put up his hands before reaching into an SUV that was stalled in the middle of a street, the police department said. Terrence Crutcher,...   (JOEY JOHNSON)

An unarmed black man killed by a white Oklahoma officer who was responding to a stalled vehicle can be seen in police video walking away from officers and toward his SUV with his hands up before he approaches the driver's side door, where he drops to the ground after being shocked with a stun gun then fatally shot, the AP reports. In Tulsa police helicopter footage that was among several clips released Monday showing the shooting of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher and its aftermath, a man in the helicopter that arrives above the scene as Crutcher walks to the vehicle can been heard saying "time for a Taser." He then says: "That looks like a bad dude, too. Probably on something." Crutcher's family, the ACLU, and dozens of protesters are calling for the immediate arrest of Officer Betty Shelby, who allegedly fired the fatal shot, the AP reports.

Police Chief Chuck Jordan announced before the video and audio recordings' release that Crutcher had no weapon on him or in his SUV when he was shot Friday. It's not clear from the footage what led Shelby to draw her gun or what orders officers might have given Crutcher. Local and federal investigations are underway to determine whether criminal charges are warranted in the shooting or if Crutcher's civil rights were violated. Police video shows Crutcher walking toward his SUV with his hands up and a female officer following him. The vehicle is stopped in the middle of the road. As Crutcher approaches the driver's side of the SUV, three male officers walk up and Crutcher appears to lower his hands and place them on the vehicle. The officers surround him, making it harder to see his actions from the police dashboard camera's angle. Crutcher can be seen dropping to the ground. Someone on the police radio says, "I think he may have just been tasered." One of the officers near Crutcher backs up slightly. Then almost immediately, someone can be heard yelling, "Shots fired!" Crutcher's head then drops, leaving him completely lying out in the street. (More police shooting stories.)

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