Criminal charges in Tulsa police shooting may prevent unrest

Less than a week after an unarmed black man was shot dead by a white police officer on a Tulsa street, prosecutors charged the officer with firstdegree manslaughter, a decision that may prevent unrest in a city with a long history of tense race relations.

Officer Betty Shelby “reacted unreasonably’’ when she fatally shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16, prosecutors wrote in an affidavit filed with the charge Thursday. Police also quickly provided videos of the shooting to black community leaders and members of Crutcher’s family before releasing them to the public.

Crutcher died from a “penetrating gunshot wound of chest,’’ the Oklahoma state medical examiner’s office said Friday, classifying his death as a homicide. Spokeswoman Amy Elliott said a full autopsy report and toxicology results are not yet complete.

The swift action in Tulsa stands in contrast to Charlotte, North Carolina, where police refused Thursday under mounting pressure to publicly release video of this week’s fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, another black man, and the National Guard was called in after violent protests. Demonstrations in Tulsa since Crutcher’s death have been consistently peaceful.

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett praised the police department for quickly providing evidence to District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler’s office.

“These are important steps to ensure that justice and accountability prevails,’’ Bartlett said in a statement, adding the city will “continue to be transparent.’’