Released video shows Tulsa man was unarmed when shot by police

Terrence Crutcher has become another unarmed Black man killed by police.

Policing in America

If you ever need an example as to why Colin Kaepernick is protesting, here is a very good one. It’s unfortunate that people like me have to pinpoint to America the atrocities that are happening around the country to explain the reasoning behind Colin Kaepernick’s protest. With the outrage that he received, it would seem that America is comfortable with police killing of unarmed people, and in particular, comfortable with the alarming rate of unarmed Black men and women killed by police.

Terrence Crutcher incident on video

A video released by Tulsa police shows the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in which the chief says is “very disturbing”.

“It’s very difficult to watch,” Police Chief Chuck Jordan said at a news conference Monday. “The first time I watched it I watched it with the family … we will do the right thing, we will not cover anything up.”

Police incident with Terrance Crutcher

Jordan said investigators never found a weapon on Crutcher or in his vehicle when the 40-year-old was killed by police as he stood by his stalled SUV.

Terence Cruther would later die from his injuries.

Police spokeswoman Jeanne MacKenzie had earlier told reporters that two officers were walking toward the stalled SUV when Crutcher approached them from the side of the road.

“He refused to follow commands given by the officers,” MacKenzie said.

“They continued to talk to him; he continued not to listen and follow any commands. As they got closer to the vehicle, he reached inside the vehicle and at that time there was a Taser deployment, and a short time later there was one shot fired.”

U.S. Attorney Danny Williams has announced that the Justice Department has opened an independent investigation into the shooting.

Terrence Crutcher video

After Terrence Crutcher was hit, he went limp and his bloodied body lied in the street. Reports say that Crutcher died at the hosptial but his family’s attorney said “Terence died on that street by himself.”

Officer involved

Sunday the names of the officers involved in the shooting. Officer Betty Shelby, who has been with the force since 2011, fired her service weapon, and officer Tyler Turnbough, who was hired in 2009, deployed his Taser, police said. Both officers were placed on administrative leave with pay.

The video is the latest in a controversial tale of unarmed black men and women killed by the police. Terence Crutcher is of the 680 people — 161 of them black men — who have been shot and killed by police officers this year, according to a Washington Post database tracking police shootings.