Former cop who shot and killed an unarmed Black man is uninvited from giving her “Surviving the Aftermath of a Critical Incident” talk

Betty Shelby, the former cop who shot and killed an unarmed Black man in 2016 has been un-invited from a speaking engagement.

TheGrio Staff

Nov 12, 2018

Terrence Crutcher and Betty Shelby thegrio.com — Left to right: Former Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby and Terrence Crutcher. (Photo: Courtesy of Terence Crutcher Family/Tulsa Police Department)

Betty Shelby, the former cop who shot and killed unarmed Black man Terrence Crutcher two years ago during a traffic stop in Tulsa, OK was all set to take her “Surviving the Aftermath of a Critical Incident” to the Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association Conference in Baton Rouge, LA, but that invitation has been rescinded.

Shelby resigned from the police force after she was acquitted of manslaughter and now she seeks to share her “wisdom” about how it feels to kill someone and suffer no legal consequences. She also serves as a reserve deputy in the Rogers County Sheriff’s Department in Claremore, OK.

Last week, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund sent a letter to the Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association (SEHIA) requesting that they un-invite Shelby from speaking.

From the statement:

“Allowing these officers to now share with a national audience of law enforcement personnel how Deputy Shelby “survived” the consequences of a homicide that she committed is inconsistent with the purported work of SEHIA members—pursuing justice for homicide victims and their families. Deputy Shelby is not a victim of Mr. Crutcher’s homicide. The late Mr. Crutcher and his survivors are the victims.”

SEHIA has since rescinded the invitation and issued a statement.

“After careful consideration of all perspectives of national, state and local leaders, we have rescinded the offer to have Betty Shelby speak at the 2018 Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association Conference in Baton Rouge this week,” the statement read. “We realize now there are people around the country who do not understand why we would present this case or how our investigators could learn and benefit from hearing the case presentation which led to her arrest, prosecution, and ultimate acquittal.”

The NAACP LDF released another statement after Shelby was un-invited: “We’d like to Thank The Citizens of Baton Rouge, Various Leaders, Chief Murphy Paul, and DA Hillar Moore for standing firm and speaking out!”