JUSTICE

Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby Charged in Terence Crutcher Death

Says she acted “unreasonably” during encounter.

Tulsa County’s district attorney announced Thursday that charges have been filed against Betty Shelby, the police officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher last Friday afternoon. Steve Kunzweiler said in a press conference that the county will charge Shelby with first-degree manslaughter for the 40-year-old unarmed black man’s death. Dashcam and helicopter footage showed Crutcher with his hands up in the air before Shelby fired at him, but the officer claimed that he was non-compliant, that she felt “threatened” by him, and that she suspected him of being high on PCP. In filing the charges, the district attorney’s office wrote that Officer Shelby “acted unreasonably by escalating the situation” while Crutcher attempted to surrender.