Terrence Crutcher

People

Terence Crutcher

Outcome

unknown

On September 16, 2016, Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby while standing near his stalled SUV in North Tulsa. Crutcher's hands were raised when he was shot. The killing was captured on police dashcam and helicopter footage, the latter piloted by Shelby's husband, and sparked protests in Tulsa and across the nation. Tulsa Police Chief confirmed that Crutcher had no weapon on him or in his SUV. Shelby had been responding to an unrelated domestic disturbance call when she encountered Crutcher's stalled vehicle in the roadway on 36th Street and Lewis Avenue. According to Shelby, Crutcher was non-compliant with her commands. Video footage showed Crutcher walking at a measured pace with his hands raised toward his vehicle, with officers following several feet behind. When Crutcher reached his SUV and placed his hands on top of the vehicle, Officer Tyler Turnbough deployed his Taser while Shelby simultaneously fired her service weapon, striking Crutcher. Audio from the police helicopter captured a voice saying, "That looks like a bad dude too. Probably on something." An autopsy later revealed PCP in Crutcher's system, though no weapon was found. Approximately two minutes after the shot, an officer checked Crutcher's pockets; aid was offered approximately 45 seconds after that. Crutcher died at the hospital later that day. Six days after the shooting, on September 22, 2016, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler charged Shelby with first-degree manslaughter—the first time in Tulsa history that a police officer was indicted for an on-duty shooting. On May 17, 2017, after nine hours of deliberation, a jury acquitted Shelby. In a letter made public through the courts, the jury foreman stated that despite the acquittal, many jurors "had reservations about Shelby's judgment and ability to perform as an officer" and took particular issue with her decision to use her firearm instead of a Taser. Following the trial, Shelby resigned from the Tulsa Police Department on August 3, 2017, and joined the Rogers County Sheriff's Office. She subsequently began teaching classes to other officers on surviving public scrutiny following police shootings. The U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights probe but later determined no federal charges would be filed. The Crutcher family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2017 seeking police reforms and damages, but in April 2024, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit based on qualified immunity. The case is currently on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Terence's twin sister, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, left her medical career in Alabama to return to Tulsa and founded the Terence Crutcher Foundation, which advocates for police violence reforms and operates community programs.