Oklahoma is investigating a deputy fatally shooting an unarmed black man

Black Lives Matter protest
(Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

The state of Oklahoma launched an investigation on the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department after a volunteer deputy's fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, Reuters reports.

Reserve deputy Robert Bates, a 73-year-old white man, said he confused his stun gun with his handgun when he shot Eric Harris, 44, on April 2. The incident was caught on video. Bates pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and resigned from his position with the sheriff's office.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.