terence crutcher
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On the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher Reflects on the City's Journey to Justice
On September 16, 2016, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher suffered an unspeakable loss that would forever change not only the course of her life but that of an entire city. While on her way to respond to a domestic dispute, Tulsa, Okla., police officer Betty Shelby spotted an abandoned vehicle in the middle of the road. It…
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Families of Black Men Killed by Cops Push for Serious Reform
The families of Black men killed by police spoke with White House officials and senators Thursday about the passage of a meaningful reform bill that will address police brutality, with the May 25 anniversary of George Floyd’s death being the goal date. Families left the meetings optimistic that lawmakers are working tirelessly to achieve that…
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Tulsa Hires First Black Police Chief, Criminal Justice Reform Advocates See More of the Same
It was a decision that Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum called “one of the most important” he could make during his tenure: appointing the next chief of the Tulsa Police. The department has been beleaguered with claims of racism since long before the high-profile 2016 killing of Terence Crutcher at the hands of then-Tulsa, Okla., cop…
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Nearly 100 Years Later, Tulsa Begins Search for Mass Graves From 1921 Black Wall Street Massacre
A few blocks away from Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood sits the city’s oldest existing cemetery, Oaklawn. On Monday, scientists and forensic anthropologists scoured the cemetery with ground-penetrating radar, looking for signs of a mass grave that could hold the remains of hundreds of black residents killed during the 1921 Tulsa massacre. As the 100-year anniversary of…
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United by Death, Mothers of the Movement Breathes New Life Into Political Agendas
In front of a packed ballroom, Tiffany Crutcher reached into her purse and pulled out a stapled letter, folded and refolded many times over. The letter was from the Department of Justice—only a handful of families in the country have ever received such correspondence from the government. But for the Mothers of the Movement panel…
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Betty Shelby Gets Bounced from Police Conference, Crutcher Family Calls It ‘Step in the Right Direction’
In what Tiffany Crutcher is calling a small “victory” for her family, a major homicide investigators conference has rescinded their invitation to have former Tulsa, Okla., Officer Betty Shelby speak at its event. Shelby, who shot and killed unarmed black motorist Terence Crutcher in 2016, was scheduled to talk about “Surviving the Aftermath of a…
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NAACP LDF Calls for Cancellation of Speaking Engagement From Cop Who Killed an Unarmed Black Man
On Sept. 16, 2016, former police officer Betty Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher during a routine traffic stop. Despite him being unarmed and having his hands raised in the air, Shelby lied to a jury and told anyone who would listen that she “feared for her life.” And after being acquitted of murder, she…
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Tulsa Mayor Calls for Investigation Into Possible Mass Graves From 1921 Black Wall Street Massacre
Nearly 100 years ago, white rioters laid siege to the nation’s most affluent black neighborhood, colloquially known as “Black Wall Street,” in Tulsa, Okla., setting fire to homes, destroying businesses and killing hundreds of black people. The wounds of that incident still scar the town, particularly because so many unresolved questions—like where some 300 black…
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'What About Our Aftermath?': Tiffany Crutcher Remembers Her Brother, Terence, Two Years After His Death
It’s been two years since Terence Crutcher died, but once in a while, his sister Tiffany Crutcher will talk about him as though he’s still here. “Terence and I just celebrated our 42nd birthday, August 16th,” she says. Tiffany, who has a clinical doctorate in physical rehabilitation, is a health care provider. This particular Wednesday…
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Betty Shelby Is Teaching a Class on Surviving Killing an Unarmed Black Man. Here Are 10 Things She'd Be Better At
This week, Betty Shelby, the Tulsa Police Officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher—and claimed he “caused his own death” by “failing to comply” to her orders—will teach a course to other police officers about “Surviving the Aftermath of a Critical Incident.” Shelby is convinced that other officers will be forced to deal with what…