Oklahoma officer is out on bail

THE WHITE Oklahoma officer who shot and killed an unarmed black man during a traffic stop last week turned herself in Friday — but was quickly released after posting a relatively low bond.

Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby, 42, was booked on first-degree manslaughter charges shortly after 1 a.m., according to arrest records obtained by the Daily News. She walked out of the Tulsa County Jail less than 15 minutes later after securing a $50,000 bond.

Prosecutors charged Shelby (photo) in the Sept. 16 death of 40-year-old Terrence Crutcher after they found she “reacted unreasonably” when fatally shooting the father of four.

A pair of police videos show Crutcher walking toward his broken-down SUV with his hands in the air. Shelby told investigators she feared for her life. Investigators found no weapon on Crutcher or in his SUV.

Police did find a vial of PCP in the vehicle and Shelby’s attorney claimed she thought Crutcher was high and acting erratically. She told investigators the man was reaching into the vehicle, while Crutcher’s relatives said that was impossible because the window was rolled up.

The officer’s attorney, Scott Wood, said Friday that Shelby had a reputation of having a “cool head on her shoulders.”

“This wasn’t her first week on the job,” Wood said. “Betty is a field-training officer. The department has picked her to train new officers, and people will tell you this isn’t Betty Shelby to overreact to a situation.”

If convicted of the felony charge, Shelby faces between four years and life in prison. She has worked with the Tulsa Police Department since 2011. She has never been suspended while on the force.