A judge declared that Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby must stand trial over her shooting of Terence Crutcher, a black man.
Judge Deborrah Ludi-Leitch determined during a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence for Shelby to stand trial after watching police helicopter and dashcam video from the incident, reports ABC News.
The judge’s decision did not shock Shelby’s defense team because “the evidence is viewed in a light most favorable to the state,” attorney Scott Wood said.
Shelby was charged with first degree manslaughter after fatally shooting Crutcher Sept. 16. (RELATED: Tulsa Cop’s Daughter: Media Has Tried To Destroy My Mom’s Character)
Dashcam video showed Crutcher walking away from officers with his hands in the air; the video reveals Crutcher falling to the ground after being tased and shot by officers.
Shelby maintained that Crutcher’s behavior made her believe he was on drugs at the time. A medical report later showed that Crutcher had PCP in his system at the time of his death.
Crutcher’s family expressed relief that there was enough evidence for the trial to move forward, according to the family’s lawyer.
“For the judge to be able to look at not just the law but what her own eyes saw on that video, and what that video shows is an unprovoked and unjustified killing of Terence Crutcher,” the attorney said.
Amber, Shelby’s daughter, spoke at a news conference minutes before her mother’s hearing. The media has done its best to destroy her mother’s character, Amber said.
“Sometimes, the officers get put in difficult positions that we ourselves cannot fathom,” Amber declared. “I am here to tell you that my mother is a woman of character and integrity. She is not just the image you saw plastered on the television screen for two weeks straight.”
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