Betty Jo Shelby is the latest police officer to receive a not guilty verdict in a manslaughter trial after killing an unarmed black man. The United States landscape has been tense over the past few years, as civil rights activists continue to call for justice.
The white police officer from the Oklahoma police department fatally shot Terence Crutcher, who was unarmed with both hands visible in the air. However, her troubles may not be over even as she returns to work after acquittal.
However, while Shelby was vindicated, she will remain under the lens of the microscope because she will likely face a federal civil rights violation charge.
The Oklahoma officer could be involved in a similar probe like the South Carolina officer that killed Walter Scott on April 4, 2015.
'Not guilty verdict' raised race equality in the USA
Earlier this month just about three months after a deadlocked jury freed Michael Slager, he pleaded guilty to the charges of federal civil rights violations. The North Charleston Police Officer may receive a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, which is about 25 years behind bars in the United States.
Officer Shelby's shooting of the unarmed Black Man could end similar to the case mentioned above, according to several sources. A statement on Friday by Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan said she would resume her duties after the not guilty manslaughter verdict on Wednesday.
Shelby in her defense stated she discharged her gun because she was fearful the victim would shoot her since he refused to follow her command. According to her, he had reached inside his vehicle, and she thought he was reaching for a gun. The state's prosecutor said the officer overreacted when she pulled her gun and pumped several bullets into the victim.
Video shows victim non-combative before he was shot
However, the jurors that acquitted a white Oklahoma police officer last year after killing an unarmed black man said he could have utilized less-lethal methods to subdue the man. A letter by the foreman of the jury in Officer Shelby's case said, although she was set free they are not saying she is blameless for the death of Crutcher.
The Jury members did not identify themselves after filing a three-page memo with the court on Friday.
According to her defense attorney, she could have used a stun gun instead of her firearm, but she had to make a "split-second" decision at the moment. However, dashboard videos from the police cruiser and a helicopter showed that the victim was not combative as reported by Shelby.
In fact, both videos clearly showed he had his hands in the air and was walking away from her. Tulsa's acquittal of the white police officer responsible for the death of the unarmed black man is only one of many that have happened over the past few years. This latest, not guilty verdict continues to raise the question of race equality in the United States of America.
