Killing of Terence Crutcher

Killing of Terence Crutcher
Terence Crutcher lying on the ground next to the driver's side of the vehicle, moments after he was shot. From aerial footage taken by Tulsa police department.
DateSeptember 16, 2016 (2016-09-16)
Location36th Street North and Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Coordinates36°12′22.1″N 95°57′34.6″W / 36.206139°N 95.959611°W / 36.206139; -95.959611
TypeHomicide by shooting, police killing
ParticipantsBetty Jo Shelby (shooter) and Tyler Turnbough (tased Crutcher)
DeathsTerence Crutcher
AccusedBetty Jo Shelby
ChargesFirst-degree manslaughter
VerdictNot guilty

On September 16, 2016, police officer Betty Jo Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher—a 40-year-old Black motorist—in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Crutcher was unarmed, standing near his vehicle near the side of the street.

The shooting led to protests in Tulsa. Six days later, on September 22, the Tulsa County District Attorney charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter after the shooting was labeled a homicide. On May 17, 2017, a jury found her not guilty of first-degree manslaughter.