84.5 miles from John Brown University in Tulsa Oklahoma, a Police officer has been charged with manslaughter in the death of an unarmed black man in September.
Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby has plead not guilty. The attorney for the victim’s family said in the courtroom:” “Today was just the first step toward the justice that we want for Terence and his family, and we look forward to the next court hearing to continue to move forward in this process,” according to CNN.
The issue has received attention throughout the country. Videos of the incident recorded by a dashboard camera and a police helicopter have been released “showing Crutcher walking on the road with his arms in the air before the shooting. He returned to his SUV, which was stopped in the middle of the road, and was next to the driver’s door when he was shot,” according to CNN.
The criminal complaint states that her fear caused unreasonable actions and is accused of unlawfully shooting the victim. The victim did not have a weapon.
Shelby’s attorney has argues that there is more to the story. He said that Shelby believed the victim was retrieving a weapon when she fired and repeatedly ordered the victim to “get down and stop walking,” according to CNN.
Tana Kunze, a senior communication major, said that police officers job is to maintain justice. She said that the nature of their job is handling people’s civil rights.
Kunze said she acknowledges police brutality is a problem, such as when an officer misuses their power, but she said the media is often quick to judge.
According to CNN, the preliminary hearing will occur later this month. If convicted Shelby faces four years to life.