UPDATED 09/24/16 2:24 p.m. ET
Tulsa, Okla. Police Officer Betty Shelby will face first-degree manslaughter charges in the shooting death of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher, reports The Associated Press. Shelby has been on paid leave since the shooting on Sept. 16. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler announced during a press conference Thursday that Shelby would face the charges after shooting and killing Crutcher on a highway in Tulsa; Crutcher was unarmed. Police claimed he was not following orders, and that Shelby fired a single shot after seeing him reach into his vehicle. Evidently Kunzweiler disagreed, and opted to file charges against Shelby.
Shelby was booked booked in a Tulsa jail at 1 a.m. Friday, but was released about 20 minutes later after posting a $50,000 bail, according to the Washington Post.
Crutcher's death has become yet another flash-point in the civil rights movement in America. Organizations such as Black Lives Matter have pointed to the shooting as a quintessential example of a lack of accountability amongst police officers in America, especially as it relates to black and brown people. Police officers have claimed that Crutcher was high on PCP, that he reached into his car window, and that he was generally non-compliant with officer commands. Several of these claims have been disputed by surveillance videos and by Crutcher's family.
While all the details of the events on Sept. 16 remain unclear, they are likely to be rehashed repeatedly during the ensuing trial. The FBI and the Department of Justice are also reviewing the case for potential civil rights charges. You can watch the video above to see all the comments from Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler about the charges and the case.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin released a statement about the charges, which you can read below.
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The Crutcher family held a press conference after the manslaughter charge was announced where Crutcher's twin sister Tiffany and the family's attorneys reacted to the news. Attorney Damario Simmons said that although the family was "happy" about the charges that alone would not suffice. Simmons added that the family was looking for a “vigorous prosecution and a conviction."
Tiffany, who called the charges a "small victory" said, "Our goal now, as a family, is to ensure this never happens to another citizen. We will stay vigilant as this process moves forward and join the other peacefully in demanding greater accountability and transparency from law enforcement."
"We're going to break the chains of injustice. We're going to break the chains of police brutality. The chain breaks right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma," she said. "We got to get ready to fight this war. Today, we can change this nation. We can heal this nation."
Shelby turned herself in early Friday morning, with CNNreporting she was booked and released on $50,000 bond. She has been charged with manslaughter. At the time of publication, it remained unclear when exactly Shelby would first appear in court. An arraignment date is expected to be announced within the next 10 days.
