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Terence Crutcher’s Shooting to Be Investigated by Justice Department

Still from video footage of Terence Crutcher with his hands up, just before he was shot and killed by Officer Betty Shelby.

Summary: Another traffic incident turned into a fatal shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma last week when African-American Terence Crutcher was fatally shot by a white officer.

Terence Crutcher, 40, was the 170th black man shot by the police in 2016.

On Friday, September 16th, Tulsa, Ok. cops were called because a seemingly abandoned vehicle was blocking the road. This routine traffic incident escalated, and dashcam video footage shows Crutcher walking toward his vehicle with his hands in the air before being fatally shot by white officer Betty Shelby.

Police records say that Shelby joined the Tulsa force in 2011. Meanwhile, she is on paid administrative leave, pending the findings of the investigation and potential indictment.

The Tulsa police department is “conducting an internal investigation,” to be reviewed by the Tulsa County District Attorney, Steve Kunzweiler. Kunzweiler will determine whether to indict Shelby on criminal charges.

Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan promised that Crutcher’s family would see justice.

“I want to assure our community, and I want to assure all of you and people across the nation who are going to be looking at this, we will achieve justice, period,” Jordan said. His department released video footage of the shooting Sunday, which Chief Jordan called “very disturbing…very difficult to watch.” View the video here:

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is starting an investigation into whether Shelby committed any federal civil rights crimes. U.S. Attorney Danny Williams Sr. promised Monday, “to seek justice on behalf of this family, and for the public.”

Photo via CNN.com

Eliza Hecht: