When Tulsa, Okla. Police Officer Betty Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man who had his hands in the air, the local district attorney wasted little time in filing charges. The entire ordeal was filmed from a nearby dash cam and from high above the scene in a helicopter.
Crutcher’s family was devastated, citizens of Tulsa were outraged, and people all over the world were calling for justice. Within days, charges were filed, Shelby was placed under arrest, and the case against her is proceeding.
The process has not been entirely flawless — some thought Shelby was undercharged — but the case, from all appearances, has been treated with the obvious urgency it deserves. While what comes next remains to be seen, how Tulsa has handled this case thus far is a textbook example of how police violence, particularly the shootings of unarmed black men, women and children, should go.
The same cannot be said for virtually every other major case of police brutality.
Tulsa officer pleads not guilty in killing of Terence Crutcher
Alton Sterling was killed by police on July 5 in Baton Rouge, La.
We see it happening right now in the July shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Both men were shot and killed by police more than 90 days ago. Both cases had eyewitnesses in the immediate vicinity. The entire shooting and aftermath of the shooting of Alton Sterling was filmed. The aftermath of the shooting of Philando Castile was filmed, but it all unfolded with his fiancée and her daughter right there in the car with him.
We’re not talking about a murder mystery here.
We know who pulled the trigger. We know where the weapons are. We know when and where the shootings took place. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-probes-sterling-castile-deaths-article‑1.2829463