Oklahoma cop says police are shooting Black Americans 'less than we probably ought to be'

A police officer from Tulsa, Oklahoma this week tried to downplay racism by police by saying that police shoot far fewer black people "than we ought to" because black people are purportedly involved in so many crimes.

Public Radio Tulsa reports that Tulsa Police Department Maj. Travis Yates this week told talk radio host Pat Campbell that it was unfair to note that black people are more likely to get shot by cops than white people because black people are involved in more crimes.

"If a certain group is committing more crimes, more violent crimes, and law enforcement's having to come into more contact with them, that number is going to be higher," Yates said. "Who in the world in their right mind would think that our shootings should be right along the U.S. Census lines? That's insanity."

The officer then suggested that, if anything, people should be impressed that police aren't shooting more black people.

"All of the research says we're shooting African-Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be, based on the crimes being committed," he said.

Yates then bashed nationwide protests against police and insisted that systemic racism within police departments "doesn't exist."

Yates then accused the media of making Americans think poorly of police.

"They've made regular Americans believe that cops are just hunting blacks down the street and killing them," he said. "It is so mind-boggling to me, that it is so over-the-top. It's not happening, but everyone believes that it is happening."