Trial date set in Terence Crutcher’s death
TULSA — Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby is set to begin jury trial proceedings in May for the shooting death of Terence Crutcher after a judge on Wednesday overruled defense motions to dismiss her case or alternatively send it back for another preliminary hearing.
Shelby, 42, appeared for trial court arraignment and had a not-guilty plea entered before District Judge Doug Drummond, who scheduled her trial for May 8. She was charged Sept. 22 with first-degree manslaughter in the heat of passion, or in the alternative first-degree manslaughter while resisting an attempt to commit a crime, related to her role in the death of Crutcher, 40, in north Tulsa on Sept. 16.
Crutcher’s parents, relatives, friends and supporters nearly filled Drummond’s courtroom for the hearing, sitting on the opposite side from Shelby’s husband, who is also a Tulsa police officer, other members of her family and a representative from the Tulsa County sheriff’s office, where Shelby worked before joining Tulsa Police in December 2011. Neither side chose to comment after the proceedings.
Tulsa Police Sgt. Shane Tuell told the Tulsa World on Wednesday that Shelby remains on administrative leave without pay as of Sept. 22. During Wednesday’s hearing, Drummond overruled two Jan. 11 motions from Shelby’s defense that sought to place her case again before a preliminary hearing judge or dismiss the charge due to insufficient evidence. In making his ruling, Drummond said Special Judge Martha Rupp Carter did not abuse her discretion when she decided not to allow Shelby to call witnesses during her Nov. 29 preliminary hearing.