Tulsa Police have released video of a shooting incident between the Tulsa PD and an unarmed black man by the name of Terence Crutcher who ultimately lost his life as a result.
The released video shows Crutcher with his hands up and walking back towards his vehicle which happened to be stalled in the middle of the road. Helicopter footage then shows shots ring out and Crutcher falling to the ground presumably dead before this was later confirmed at a local hospital.
The footage is obviously damning for the authorities and the officer who fired the fatal shot Betty Shelby – who is white – especially when you factor in the initial reports that Crutcher didn’t comply and put his hands up when instructed. The video evidence without doubt shows otherwise.
Crutcher, who committed no crime and was guilty of nothing other than his truck stalling in the middle of the road was profiled as a ‘big bad dude’ by the officers in the helicopter, something Crutcher’s twin sister referenced during a statement made to the media.
Crutcher’s sister Tiffany Crutcher called for charges against the officer who fired the shot. She said Monday that her brother was dead “because of the negligence, and the incompetency, and insensitivity and because he was a ‘big, bad dude.’”
Her comment was a reference to the aerial footage of the incident; in the audio, someone can be heard referring to Crutcher as a “big, bad dude.”
During a Monday press conference, Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan called the video “very disturbing — very difficult to watch.” and confirmed upon further investigation a gun was not found on Crutcher.
Shelby along with Officer Tyler Turnbough – who fired his taser at Crutcher – have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.
h/t: BuzzFeed