Tulsa police say man had no gun; video shows he had hands up [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Tulsa police say man had no gun; video shows he had hands up
Sep 19, 10:21 PM EDT
By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS
Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- 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.

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 be heard saying "time for a Taser." He then says: "That looks like a bad dude, too. Probably on something."

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 Betty Shelby, the officer who fired the fatal shot, 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 that is stopped in the middle of the road. His hands are up and a female officer is following him. 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 dashboard camera's angle.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KILLINGS_BY_POLICE_TULSA_OKOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-19-22-21-14