It took a jury about three hours Wednesday to find former Tulsa County reserve sheriff’s deputy Robert Bates guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed suspect last year.
Eric Harris was shot and killed while being restrained after fleeing during an undercover drug sting in April 2015. Bates, 74, said he mistook his revolver for his stun gun when he fired his weapon while deputies had Harris pinned to the ground. The incident was captured on a body camera.
The jury recommended Bates serve the maximum sentence of four years in prison, The Tulsa World’s Arianna Pickard and Corey Jones report:
Andre Harris, Eric Harris' brother, said after court was adjourned that the verdict was a victory for the family and for Tulsa. Asked by a reporter whether four years in prison would teach Bates a lesson, Andre Harris said that "at his age," yes, it will teach him a lesson.
Here's what it looks like at the courthouse as Andre Harris talks to reporters about #batestrial verdict. pic.twitter.com/0UokrEdcNq
— Ziva Branstetter (@ZivaBranstetter) April 27, 2016
During the trial, Bates’ defense attorneys tried to prove Harris died of a heart attack caused by methamphetamine use, and not the gunshot wound. The prosecution characterized Bates as negligent, and fellow deputies testified Bates dozed off in his vehicle shortly before the pursuit of Harris. Bates did not testify during the trial.
The 2015 shooting led to several investigations into the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, where Bates was a close friend of Sheriff Stanley Glanz. A 2009 internal memo indicated some inside the department questioned Bates’ training and qualifications. An investigation also revealed Bates had given the department thousands of dollars in addition to at least five vehicles and other expensive equipment.
Glanz resigned in September 2015 after serving as sheriff for more than 25 years. He’s been indicted on misdemeanor charges of refusal to perform an official duty after he denied requests for information during a grand jury probe into the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Reserve Deputy program. He was also charged with taking a $600 monthly stipend to use his personal vehicle for official county travel. He instead used a county-owned sport-utility vehicle.
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donateonline, or by contacting ourMembership department.
