The Oklahoma police officer who shot an unarmed black man last year was found not guilty of manslaughter by a jury late Wednesday.
Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby had testified in her own defense after the Sept. 16 fatal shooting of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher.
The Tulsa County district attorney charged Shelby with one count of first-degree manslaughter. Shelby pleaded not guilty.
Officers who had responded to a call said they found Crutcher acting oddly. Shelby said she responded with gunfire when he reached into his car for what she thought was a weapon. Crutcher’s family and attorney said his car windows had been rolled up at the time of the incident.
Following Crutcher’s shooting, officers confirmed he did not have a gun in the vehicle.
The verdict comes at a time when police shootings of unarmed African-Americans has been widely criticized as unwarranted.
