SHOTS FIRED

Oklahoma Cop Charged With Manslaughter After Killing 60-Year-Old Black Man

Sgt. Clifford Holman “fired three shots unnecessarily” at the victim, the investigating officer said in an affidavit.

A police officer has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after he shot and killed a mentally ill Black man outside a store in Oklahoma City late last year, The Oklahoman reports. Sgt. Clifford Holman could face between four years and life in prison if he’s convicted in the death of 60-year-old Bennie Edwards. On the day of the incident, police responded to a call about a man bothering customers in a business’ parking lot, and when they arrived Edwards was holding a knife. He directed it at the officers before turning to run away. “Sgt. Clifford Holman dropped his Taser unit, drew his service weapon and fired three shots unnecessarily at Mr. Edwards as he was running away, striking him in his upper middle back, causing death,” the officer investigating the shooting wrote in an affidavit.