Senate OKs expanding OSBI role in inquiries of police shootings

Faced with growing controversy over officerinvolved shootings in Oklahoma and elsewhere, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill Tuesday that would give the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation increased authority to investigate such incidents.

“This allows for somewhat of neutrality to at least review what has happened,” said state Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, one of the Senate co-authors of the bill.

Under Senate Bill 247, the OSBI would be given the responsibility of investigating all law enforcement- or peace officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths, excluding jails or prisons, for all jurisdictions with a population less than 150,000.

While the population limit would still allow law enforcement entities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to investigate their own officer-involved incidents, the proposed new law would allow the OSBI — at its own discretion — to review those investigations.

The proposed law also calls for the OSBI to develop forms to be used to report on incidents involving officerinvolved injury or death.

Law enforcement agencies would be required to complete the forms within 30 days of an incident and forward the results to the OSBI.

The OSBI then would be required to post the results on its website within five days of the report’s receipt.

The OSBI also would be required to submit an annual report on all officerinvolved injuries or deaths by Feb. 1 of each year.

Matthews said he wasn’t in a position to say whether any past Oklahoma investigations would have turned out differently if they had been conducted by an outside law enforcement agency, but said citizens have concerns.

“I can tell you that in Tulsa, there is a great concern of the families and the individuals that have been injured or shot, as to whether or not it’s neutral,” Matthews told senators.

There have been a number of officerinvolved shootings in Oklahoma.

One of the most controversial was the April 2015 fatal shooting of Eric Harris by Robert Bates, a former Tulsa County volunteer deputy who said he mistook his handgun for a stun gun when he shot Harris while Harris was restrained during an illegal gun sales sting. Bates was sentenced to four years in prison for second-degree manslaughter.

The bill passed 45-0 and is now headed to the state House for consideration.

I can tell you that in Tulsa, there is a great concern of the families and the individuals that have been injured or shot, as to whether or not it’s neutral.”

Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa