Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby shot and killed unarmed Terence Crutcher last September on a lonely stretch of road in north Tulsa.
Shelby was charged with first-degree manslaughter less than a week later, a crime with a potential punishment of at least four years in prison. It’s the most significant on-duty criminal charge against a law enforcement officer in recent Tulsa history.
Shelby’s attorneys have argued that Crutcher, who an autopsy report showed had PCP in his system at the time of the shooting, was not obeying her commands to stop reaching inside his vehicle just before Shelby shot him. Prosecutors have argued that Shelby became too “emotionally involved” and killed Crutcher unnecessarily.
Jury selection in the trial began Monday, May 8, 2017. Our coverage is below.
Previous stories: Read our coverage of the shooting
The charge against Betty Shelby: Read the court document filed the day Shelby was charged
Watch the videos: Police cameras captured the shooting from different angles. Helicopter | Dash cam
Betty Shelby, right, stands next to her attorney Shannon McMurray during Shelby’s preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier
Trial coverage
Monday, May 8: First day of trial sees slow going in process of selecting jury
Tuesday, May 9: Questions about role of race in police shootings highlights second day of jury selection
Wednesday, May 10: Testimony begins as six officers take the stand
Thursday, May 11: Increasingly emotional Betty Shelby shown in dramatic video interview with investigators
Friday, May 12: TPD sergeant testifies DA ‘disrespectful’ when he brought charges against Shelby
Monday, May 15: Shelby: Crutcher would still be alive if he would have communicated, listened to commands
Tuesday, May 16: ‘Guesswork’ at heart of final day of testimony in Betty Shelby trial
Wednesday, May 17: Jurors begin deliberating as attorneys close in Betty Shelby trial
The verdict: Contentious trial ends with acquittal of embattled Tulsa Police Officer
