The police officer who shot and killed yet another unarmed black man, Betty Shelby, was charged with first degree manslaughter at the end of last week. It's a rare sighting to see such a quick turn around in the death of an unarmed black man, as we've seen many other officers get away with murder, basically, further fueling the Black Lives Matter movement, rightly so.
Shelby turned herself in the following day, and now her lawyer is speaking up in defense of his client. The Tulsa officer just plead not guilty to the charge brought against her at her arraignment this morning, which lasted only moments.
Her lawyer, Scott Wood, is claiming that Shelby experienced "auditory exclusion" during the shooting of Terence Crutcher. It's a condition that can result in a high-stress situation, and basically means you go temporarily deaf.
"She didn’t hear the gunshot, didn’t hear the sirens coming up behind her just prior to the shot," Wood said on Thursday. "And it’s not only a common phenomenon described in literature, but it’s the No. 1 perceptual distortion by people I have represented who have been involved in shootings - diminished sound or complete auditory exclusion."
Shelby told investigators that Crutcher refused to get on his knees despite multiple requests, and that she feared for her life and thought Crutcher was going to kill her; this according to an affidavit.
Shelby faces between four years and life in prison if convicted. She was released on $50,000 bond last week. We'll keep you posted on this case.
RIP Terence Crutcher.
