Tulsa cop resigns after being acquitted in shooting of unarmed black man
Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby (Photo: Tulsa PD)

Betty Shelby, the Tulsa Police Department officer who was acquitted in the shooting of an unarmed black man this past May, has resigned from her job at the department.


Local news station KTLA reports that Shelby announced her resignation on Friday, less than two months after being acquitted on manslaughter charges over the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, who was unarmed and had his arms raised at the time of the shooting.

"Since being reinstated, I have found that sitting behind a desk, isolated from all my fellow officers and the citizens of Tulsa, is just not for me," wrote Shelby, in a statement released by the local police union. "As I have stated before, the incident with Terence Crutcher was a tragedy for everyone involved, and I am sorry he lost his life. I pray for healing for his family, I will continue to pray for the unity of our community, the safety of our citizens and our police officers."

During her trial this year, Shelby testified that she believed Crutcher was reaching inside of his car to grab a gun, although police later said that no firearm was found either on him or in his vehicle.

Shelby's last day on the Tulsa Police Department will be on August 3. Tulsa PD has not responded to Raw Story's request for comment.