The Tulsa Police Department has released video footage in the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, who authorities now confirm was unarmed.
“I’m going to tell you right now, there was no gun on the suspect or in the suspect’s vehicle,” Police Chief Chuck Jordan said at a press conference Monday afternoon. “I want to assure our community and I want to assure all of you and people across the nation watching this: We will achieve justice.”
Crutcher, 40, was shot by Officer Betty Shelby, who is white, on Sept. 16 after police spotted his stalled car in the middle of the highway. Another officer, Tyler Turnbough, deployed his Taser during the encounter.
It’s not yet clear why Crutcher stopped his car on the road; however, police were responding to a report of an abandoned vehicle.
According to police, Crutcher refused orders moments before the fatal shot was fired.
In the video, Crutcher is seen walking with his hands up and eventually putting them on the side of his SUV. Police on the scene then surrounded him, making it difficult to see the tasing and eventual shooting.
“That looks like a bad dude, too,” an officer is heard saying in the video. Moments later, Crutcher was on the ground.
An emergency crew later transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Since the day of the shooting, family and loved ones maintained that Crutcher wasn’t armed.
Crutcher’s twin sister, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, previously told reporters that she knew the video’s release would cause outrage and pleaded for protesters to avoid violence.
“Let’s protest, let’s do what we have to do, but let’s do it peacefully, so we respect the culture of our family,” she said.
