Tulsa police say man had no gun; video shows he had hands up

[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

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. It never ends....

You could be a cardiologist and get this crap if your skin is dark.

[True Dough]

2. Here's some aerial footage of the shooting (graphic warning)

The suspect was walking back to his vehicle with his hands up, which would have undoubtedly violated the commands from the police but was it necessary to shoot him? Why not deploy a taser or pepper spray him?

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[brush]

3. Why are guns or tasers even drawn? The man's car broke down. He needed help.

Just like that, his car stalls and leads to an interaction with racist cops and he's dead.

This is fucked up. The woman cop panics and shoots him then yells "shots fired".

Yeah, you fired a shot for no reason and now a person is dead.

Get those unqualified, racist cowards off the police forces.

There are five cops there and all they can think of to do is shoot and taser a motorist with a broken down car instead of assisting him. The five of them should have been able to, just because it's five of them, handle any physical altercation if it came to that without resorting to deadly force.

What is it with white cops when dealing with black men, the guns come out automatically.

Again, get those unqualified, racist cowards off the police forces.

[True Dough]

4. I'm not going to justify the shooting

but an escalation in the use of force may have been warranted, like a taser or pepper spray.

There is no way that cops with guns drawn are not shouting "Get on the ground" to the guy repeatedly. He continues to walk toward his vehicle. There is a risk that he is going to retrieve a weapon. The police cannot know this.

Again, shooting him without attempting other levels of force first is an overreaction, IMO, but the man was almost certainly defying the cops' commands.

[brush]

5. How was he defying them with his hands up?

Too many assumptions and excuses being made for this shooting/murder.

We weren't there on the ground. We don't know what was said to him or that he was purposely defying them. With five cops yelling at you and a helicopter roaring overhead, the man, probably conflicted and confused by several cops yelling at him and not clear as to what to do to not cause one of them to shoot him, did what he thought was best since it was pretty Goddamn apparent that they had no intention of helping him with his car obviously broken down and stalled in the middle of the road. He put his hands up and was probably walking to his car hoping to get out of harms way from those predators.

RACIST, PANICKY, COWARDLY, TRIGGER-HAPPY COPS WHO PREY ON BLACK MEN CONSTITUTE "HARMS WAY" TO BLACK MEN. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO SEE THESE VIDEOS NOT TO KNOW THAT BY NOW?

They outnumbered a motorist with a broken down car 5 tp 1 and all they can come up with is "he's a bad dude", a taser and a kill shot.

Get these cowardly, panicky, trigger-happy, racist, predator cops off police forces everywhere.

[Snellius]

8. Even if ..

The cops say "get on the ground" and the suspect refuses, is that a reason to shoot him? There was absolutely nothing to indicate that the suspect was dangerous. Except that he was one of those other kinds of people. Just back off. Every car stop is not a shootout. Does anyone train cops when to do just nothing? Get the license plate or something. He was completely encircled.

So every time a suspect makes a suspicious move, the cops should shoot him, right?

[Chakab]

10. How the fuck is it that Ahmad Rahami could be apprehended in spite of the fact that he was terror

Last edited Tue Sep 20, 2016, 09:01 AM - Edit history (1)

suspect who'd shot a police officer, but this man was executed because his car stalled?

The worst part is that people are actually questioning the VICTIM'S actions.

Protocol is that police are legally mandated to use deadly force when there's an imminent threat of bodily harm to themselves or members of the general public. That was clearly not the case here, and any attempt to nitpick Mr. Crutcher's actions is ridiculous. Nothing that he did in that video should have caused his death, nor should the police have had their weapons drawn on him in the first place.

[BronxBoy]

11. But you are implicitly justifyng it....

He was tasered and shot at the same time. How do you know he wasn't complying with orders??? How do you know that they are shouting "get on the ground". Really. How do you know that other than making an assumption. Maybe one of those cops told him retrieve his ID. How do you know they didn't. You're as bad as the asshole in the helicopter he said the victim looked like "one bad dude" without any knowledge of the victim or his motives. Fucking disgusting.

I notice you posit no mitigating circumstances that might explain the victims actions, only the cops.

[uppityperson]

26. Thank you. Eom

[HughBeaumont]

13. You're justifying it.

There was no excuse for them to have their weapons drawn. His vehicle was broken down.

[font size="7"]STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR HORRIBLE COPS.[/font]

[Judi Lynn]

24. Thank you, HughBeaumont.

[treestar]

33. He wasn't being arrested though

He just had a broken down vehicle. So why are they issuing commands to get down on the ground?

[NaturalHigh]

15. This is a local story, so I've paid quite a bit of attention.

His car wasn't broken down. It was parked and running in the middle of the street. Nobody is quite sure why yet.

[UpInArms]

40. the clutch went out of the car my husband was driving

and ... fortunately, I was following him - we were on our way to the mechanics

the car's motor continued to run .... but the wheels refused to turn

[NaturalHigh]

43. And that's a very possible scenario here.

[randome]

42. The cop's explanation of events sounds pretty credible.

This is not as clearcut as a few seconds of helicopter video show.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[uppityperson]

25. Seriously. His car broke down and this means scaredy cops get to kill him rather than help him.

[Snellius]

6. Interesting to watch the whole video here:

http://www.webtopnews.com/tulsa-police-chief-chuck-jordan-terence-crutcher-shooting-will-achieve-justice-2415-2016/

Why do the three officers slowly walk away together BACKWARDS, holding on to each other, facing AWAY from the car camera?
Instead of helping the victim, they all quickly distance themselves. No attempt to check his condition. No ambulance called. It's like the cops are all saying with their body language: "We really fucked up this time!"

[Judi Lynn]

22. Thank you for that post, and there's no doubt you're right about their walking backwards.

That tells the whole story.

[Solomon]

7. Fuck everyone trying to justify this murder.

He was probably COMPLYING with an order to produce ID which was in the vehicle which explains why his hands were so far up. Racist cophumpers make me sick!

[HughBeaumont]

12. +1,000,000

There's NO excuse for this. NOT. ONE.

This man's car broke down. There wasn't any need for the police to have weapons drawn.

[Judi Lynn]

23. Thank you Solomon. You speak so well for us.

[Vinca]

9. As a former female cop, I can't imagine drawing a gun when the call is "stalled vehicle."

The problem is the cops are responding to the general violent, hate-filled country we are now living in. They should have more sense than that, but given the biggest police union just endorsed Trump it's clear they don't. The officer should be charged with murder because that's what it was.

[Odin2005]

14. Given Tulsa's history I'm not surprised by this.

This is a city that basically did a violent pogrom against it's black middle class in the 20s and justified it by accusing blacks of causing a "race riot".

[PatSeg]

16. Why on earth is there a police helicopter there

for a stalled vehicle? How many police officers do they need?

[neeksgeek]

17. Idea: start boycotting the businesses in these cities.

Any city or town where the police have a record of racial violence, and what any honest person will admit amounts to extra-judicial killings, just don't shop there, or go there at all if possible. Shun them. Let them become ghost towns.

It's easy for me to boycott Tulsa, I' m in Charlotte, NC. But it's an idea.

[George II]

18. Just saw the helicopter video. That was cold blooded murder. The shooter and the accomplices...

...should be in a jail cell right now.

"looks like a bad dude" - yeah, he was black.

[Old Vet]

19. Usually I give the cops the benefit of the doubt...............

Always have, Even after being fucked over by a crooked cop who happened to be my neighbor. This is probably one of the most blatant MURDER by cop scenes Ive seen IMHO. My heart breaks for his family and children.

[Marcuse]

20. Take a knee for the republic for which it stands:

A. One nation
B. Under God
C. Indivisible
D. With Liberty and Justice for all
E. None of the above

[Judi Lynn]

21. Absolutely.

[center]

Rest in peace, Terence Crutcher.

Go to hell, officer Betty Shelby.

[still_one]

27. This was cold blooded murder

[doc03]

28. Why is he walking away? nt

[moondust]

29. Past Tulsa cop killing.

By a 73-year-old volunteer reserve Tulsa County Sheriff's Deputy who in 2015 claimed he thought he had pulled his taser but instead shot Eric Harris in the back while he was on the ground and who then died.

Bates found guilty of manslaughter and got four years in prison

Tulsa Authorities Ordered Robert Bates’ Training Record Falsified: Report

[The_Casual_Observer]

30. A death sentence is a big long ordeal

Except when it comes from the gun of a nervous stupid cop, then it's instant with no questions asked.

[Sgent]

31. On Morning Joe

Joe and the someone who was with the GWB campaign were calling for the cops head.

Even R's are starting to see some of this racist shit for what it is.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

32. I just found out

That this man was a close childhood friend to one of my friends/classmates from college. It's so sad.

[NickB79]

34. They are now saying they found PCP in the man's car

Which would corroborate the claim made by the officers earlier that he was acting like he was high on drugs when they approached him.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/police-say-pcp-found-in-vehicle-occupied-by-terence-crutcher/article_d965a1f2-072b-57bf-a682-6b1cfb22b246.html

Police found PCP in the vehicle used by Terence Crutcher the night he was fatally shot by an officer, a Tulsa Police Department official confirmed to the Tulsa World on Tuesday afternoon.

The attorney for the Tulsa police officer who fatally shot Crutcher had said Monday that the officer, Betty Shelby, thought he was acting like he might be under the influence of that drug.

Homicide Sgt. Dave Walker, who confirmed that a vial of PCP was found, declined to say where in the vehicle investigators recovered it, nor did he say whether officers determined that Crutcher, 40, had used it Friday evening.

The Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to provide toxicology information as part of a larger autopsy report.

[Judi Lynn]

36. Police never plant drugs or drop guns to cover their asses, do they? No, that would be wrong.

Everyone knows if someone is "acting like he might be under the influence of that drug" you'd better shoot him!

I was thinking last night that they would roll out the character assassination today, and they didn't disappoint. That's ALWAYS the pattern, every filthy time they murder someone.

EVERY TIME.

Anyone who automatically swallows that low mudslinging is a remarkably virulent racist, in my view. Just my opinion. Clearly you have yours, after giving the matter honest, untainted thought.

[LeftyMom]

38. They're tainting the jury pool.

In a few weeks they'll quietly say the test was a false positive. It'll run in the back of the metro section of the local paper, next to an article about a really big corn maze.

They'll have already introduced the idea that he was dangerous and tried him in the press for his own murder.

There's a pattern here.

[UpInArms]

41. and I would trust anything from the Tulsa police department at this point?

ummm.... no

[romanic]

35. This whole situation is weird and sad.

Deadly force wasn't necessary per the video but I don't think this was just a broken down vehicle either.

[SFierro2004]

37. Yet another horrific murder by our country's police

I don't know how people can still defend these gross practices of the US' law enforcement. It has been clear for some time now that they are out of control.

And Donald wants to give the police even MORE powers. How terrifying.

[exboyfil]

39. It took him about 12 seconds to fall looking at the dashcam video

So he was shot at around 10 seconds in the helicopter video (you have a clear view of his back that should be enlarged). He falls after the helicopter moves to the other side of the vehicle.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004658240/helicopter-video-of-tulsa-police-shooting.html



Here is the dashcam video - He is shot at 16 seconds (you can hear the shot and see the gun smoke). No where can you hear her commands to get on the ground. The tape should be enhanced to hear her commands. It sounds like a car radio is on in the squad car (is that a violation of police procedure - it really should be).

http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004658237/police-footage-of-tulsa-shooting.html