Officer Betty Shelby Got Charged With Manslaughter While Male Cops Get Off Easy
This afternoon, charges against the officer who allegedly shot and killed Terrence Crutcher were announced. She has been charged with first degree manslaughter.
In case you missed the coverage, here’s a quick rundown:
Last Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Officer Betty Shelby arrived on the scene as Terrence Crutcher was allegedly on the side of the road waiting for help with his car. Several cameras show Terrence allegedly with his hands over his head walking back towards his car. Betty followed him with her weapon drawn.
He eventually made it back to the driver’s side door of his car, and as soon as one of Terrence’s hands went down in what appears to be him reaching for something, shots were fired and Terrence was killed.
According to her attorney, Officer Shelby said she thought Crutcher was behaving oddly because he wasn’t listening to her commands. Ultimately, she was afraid he had a gun.
The charges are a win for anyone who’s involved in or cares about the Black Lives Matter movement. Finally someone will be held accountable for taking an innocent man’s life.
But let’s not forget about all the other officers who have shot and killed black men without repercussions. And oddly enough, this is one of the first times police brutality has consequences and it happens to be a woman.
So where are the #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter people coming out in support of her? Probably hiding because she’s not part of the boy’s club that men officers are.
We don’t have any studies on this, but what we have seen on social media indicates that the people who normally scream in protest whenever a cop’s questioned are staying largely silent on Officer Shelby. And we have a funny feeling it’s not because she deserved to be held accountable any more than the other officers who have gunned down black men over the past year or two. Instead, it’s probably her gender.
Okay, so what? Why does this matter?
Because when Eric Garner was killed, Officer Daniel Pantaleo was not charged for putting Eric in a chokehold and killing him.
Michael Brown was killed by Darren Wilson, and he was not charged either for shooting him at point blank range even though Michael was not armed.
Tamir Rice was only 12 when he was shot and killed after officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback confused his toy gun for a real one. They were not charged for slaughtering a 12-year-old.
Alton Sterling was shot as he was selling CDs out side of a gas station. He was pinned to the ground and then shot. Officers Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni were placed on leave and not charged.
Philando Castile was killed as he was reaching for license and registration. He had a gun but was also licensed to carry. He died while in the car with his daughter and girlfriend as she broadcast the aftermath of the situation on Facebook Live.
These five examples are just a few out of the hundreds of shooting that resulted in no charges against the cops.
We’re not surprised she was charged because every other prominent shooting resulting in no charges have been carried out by male officers. We’re not saying she should have gotten off, but everyone should have been treated the way Officer Betty was treated.
