Tulsa shooting: The unanswered questions
23 September 2016
The shooting of an unarmed black man by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has led to protests and demands by his family for justice. Terence Crutcher, 40, was shot dead next to his stalled car last Friday. Officers had encountered the car while on their way to another call-out. The incident was caught by two police cameras - one in a helicopter, the other inside a police car - and the officer in question has been charged with first-degree manslaughter. However, much of what happened remains unclear. Both sources of footage show armed police approaching Mr Crutcher next to his vehicle - he has his hands in the air, and places them on the side of the car. It is not clear whether Mr Crutcher drops his hands at any point - his family say he did not - and angles on both videos obscure him moments before he is shot by a stun gun then a gun. Police said soon after the shooting that he had ignored officers' commands, but a lawyer for the Crutcher family said witnesses were "shocked and outraged that he actually was shot" as he had been responding to the requests. A lawyer for Betty Shelby, the police officer who shot Mr Crutcher, also said he had ignored officers' commands. Scott Wood told the Tulsa World newspaper that Mr Crutcher had repeatedly reached into his pockets, despite being told not to. Shots were fired when he reached in through the window of the car, Mr Wood said. However, on Tuesday, Mr Crutcher's family held a press conference showing a magnified photo appearing to show blood on the driver's window, indicating it was not open. It is not clear if the window of the back seat was open or not. While Betty Shelby came across the stalled car while on an unrelated call, audio released by police shows a phone call was made by a member of the public about concerns someone was "smoking something". Mr Wood also said that Officer Shelby, thanks to training she had received, suspected Mr Crutcher was under the influence of PCP, a synthetic drug. On Tuesday, police confirmed to the Tulsa World that a vial of the drug was found in the car. "Let us not be thrown a red herring and to say because something was found in the car that is justification to shoot him," Crutcher family lawyer Benjamin Crump said.
Both sources of footage show armed police approaching Mr Crutcher next to his vehicle - he has his hands in the air, and places them on the side of the car. It is not clear whether Mr Crutcher drops his hands at any point - his family say he did not - and angles on both videos obscure him moments before he is shot by a stun gun then a gun. Police said soon after the shooting that he had ignored officers' commands, but a lawyer for the Crutcher family said witnesses were "shocked and outraged that he actually was shot" as he had been responding to the requests.
1130_0
Did Mr Crutcher lower his hands?
A lawyer for Betty Shelby, the police officer who shot Mr Crutcher, also said he had ignored officers' commands. Scott Wood told the Tulsa World newspaper that Mr Crutcher had repeatedly reached into his pockets, despite being told not to. Shots were fired when he reached in through the window of the car, Mr Wood said. However, on Tuesday, Mr Crutcher's family held a press conference showing a magnified photo appearing to show blood on the driver's window, indicating it was not open. It is not clear if the window of the back seat was open or not.
1130_1
Was the car window open?
While Betty Shelby came across the stalled car while on an unrelated call, audio released by police shows a phone call was made by a member of the public about concerns someone was "smoking something". Mr Wood also said that Officer Shelby, thanks to training she had received, suspected Mr Crutcher was under the influence of PCP, a synthetic drug. On Tuesday, police confirmed to the Tulsa World that a vial of the drug was found in the car. "Let us not be thrown a red herring and to say because something was found in the car that is justification to shoot him," Crutcher family lawyer Benjamin Crump said.
1130_2
Were there drugs involved?