By Fox23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — The family of Terence Crutcher hosted a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the recent 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that will allow a lawsuit filed against former Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby to move forward.
In 2016, then-officer Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher during a traffic stop while he was unarmed.
In May 2017, Shelby was found not guilty of first degree manslaughter by a jury.
Following the acquittal, the estate of Terence Crutcher filed civil lawsuits against the City of Tulsa and Shelby.
However, those lawsuits were dismissed by a federal court in April 2024.
Shelby argued qualified immunity, a legal provision that protects police officers from civil damages unless it’s found they violated Constitutional or clearly established statutory rights, barred the excessive force claim filed against her.
The Court agreed, ruling in favor of Shelby.
The estate of Terence Crutcher appealed this ruling, moving the case up to the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th District.
“While this ruling brings a measure of justice, it also reminds us the cost too often borne by Black families, and especially Black women, who carry the weight of loss while leading the fight forward,” shared Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Terence’s twin sister, at Tuesday’s press conference discussing the court’s ruling.
The Crutcher family and their legal team said Monday’s ruling was a victory for them, but stated there’s a long way to go until justice is delivered.
However, the family said they intend to keep fighting, no matter how long it takes.
Dr. Crutcher stated, “This is a reminder of what is possible when we refuse to be silent, when we refuse to stand down and when we refuse to allow anyone or anything to rob us of hope. As Scripture says, to my coalition of faith leaders who have been with me, ‘Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up,’ and so we will keep fighting, not just for our family, but for every family facing injustice across this nation.”
One of the family’s attorneys, Damario Solomon-Simmons, said Monday’s ruling was a correction of justice.
Shelby and her attorneys continue to maintain that she acted lawfully to protect herself and other officers when she shot Terence Crutcher, stating she acted reasonably and met the Oklahoma law standard of conduct when responding to the incident.
To watch the Crutcher family’s full press conference, click here.
