Tulsa police officer who killed Terence Crutcher charged with manslaughter

(Image credit: Tulsa Police Department via AP, File)

Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby was charged Thursday with first-degree manslaughter, related to the shooting death of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prosecutors announced the charge after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler promised Tuesday to launch a criminal investigation of the incident.

On Sept. 16, Shelby shot Crutcher, an unarmed black man, after encountering him outside his stalled car on a main road. Footage of the incident shows Crutcher had his hands up and began to lower them in the instant before he was shot; Kunzweiler said Thursday that he decided to file the charge after reviewing the video. A warrant has been issued for Shelby's arrest, and if she is convicted, she could face at least four years in prison.