The Tulsa police officer who gunned down Terence Crutcher as he retreated to his vehicle with his hands up in the air, will soon resume her work behind a badge.
Betty Jo Shelby was acquitted of manslaughter in the case last week, causing a nationwide outcry over the injustice. Shelby's defense team had successfully argued that she feared for her life when she fired on Crutcher. While there indeed does come a point, in dashcam and helicopter recordings, in which Crutcher appears to motion towards the window of his vehicle, it came moments after he began to calmly walked back to his car following a bizarre dispute that ensued over what was supposed to be a call about his vehicle stalling in the middle of the road.
Shelby argued that she thought Crutcher might have had a gun, while reports that later surfaced implied that he may have been high on PCP, and thus not following the officers' instructions coherently. Audio from Shelby's husband, who is also an officer and happened to be observing the incident as it unfolded, would cause a stir, as he is recorded characterizing Crutcher as a dangerous looking man. Crutcher was actually enrolled in college when he was killed.
Shelby would be charged with manslaughter on September 22, which was the point in which she was forced to take an unpaid leave. As part of her imminent return to the department, Shelby will reportedly receive $35,000 in back pay to cover the portion of her salary that had been frozen through trial.
Source: kfor.comArticle Image: Tulsa Cop Who Killed Terence Crutcher Will Return to Work with $35K Back Pay