The FBI has determined that a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white Oklahoma reserve sheriff’s deputy was “not warranted” at this time, according to a statement from the agency provided to TPM on Tuesday.
“The FBI has reviewed the information from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office shooting of Eric Harris. It has been determined, based on the information available at this time, that a Civil Rights Investigation into the shooting death of Mr. Harris is not warranted,” the statement read. “The FBI will remain open to re-evaluating the matter should new information or evidence come to the surface that would warrant such a review.”
FBI Director James Comey also said Monday during a visit to Oklahoma City that he’d been briefed on the shooting and did not see any civil rights violations based on the information available.
“New information can always come to light our eyes are always open, our mind is always open,” Comey said. “But based on what we’ve seen so far we don’t see a civil rights case.”
The shooting, which occurred on April 2, sparked national outrage when a video of the fatal encounter was released last week. The video showed Reserve Deputy Robert Bates, 73, shooting Harris while the man was on the ground. When Harris complained about being short of breath after being shot, another sheriff’s deputy can be heard on the video telling Harris “fuck your breath.”
Bates later told investigators that he mistook his handgun for his Taser while trying to help take Harris into custody.
In a news conference earlier Monday, Sheriff Stanley Glanz said that the FBI’s top agent in Oklahoma had told him his agency was cleared of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting.
“I also want to tell you that this morning I got a call from Jim Finch. He is the S.A.C., special agent in charge, of the state of Oklahoma,” Glanz said. “He told me the FBI has completed their investigation and they found no wrongdoing at the sheriff’s office. And of course they look at civil rights violations. If you have any questions about that investigation, I would refer you to Mr. Finch or Rich Davis, who’s a local supervisor for the FBI.”
The statement from the FBI made no mention of opening or closing an investigation into the Tulsa County Sheriff’s office, however.
Maybe there was no racial angle to the shooting. However, both the FBI and Justice should be investigating the whole nonsense of having 73 year old armed part-time “deputies” on any force in the country.
The sheriff was a bit glib and disingenuous on this one. “[T]hey [the FBI] found no wrongdoing at the sheriff’s office” doesn’t speak to the manslaughter charge. The FBI has no jurisdiction in this case unless there is a civil rights violation or a hate crime. The FBI has merely decided that there is no basis for federal charges at this time. This has no effect whatsoever on the manslaughter charge, This is a claim of exoneration on a level with Sarah Palin and Troopergate.
Civil Rights violations don’t only refer to racial bias. Unjustified shootings are without a doubt a violation of your Civil Rights. DOJ lists “Excessive force or other Constitutional violations by persons acting as law enforcement officials or public officials” as one category in Civil Rights violations.
What you are referencing is a Hate Crime, which is another type of Civil Rights violation.
So what DOJ is saying is that “at this point” the shooting does not warrant an investigation. This guy has been charged with a crime already, so there is no need for a federal investigation at this time unless he is acquitted. At that point DOJ can reevaluate.
"they found no wrongdoing at the sheriff’s office. "
Lie…that’s not what they found. I hope this fucker gets stung so hard by evidence coming out of him giving Deputy Donation special treatment that he shits his pants for 3 years straight…while acclimating to prison life.
Wrong. They are simply saying there is not enough evidence to support an investigation yet. It has nothing to do with whether he is charge, found guilty or acquitted. He and/or the department may be charged with civil rights violations and a slew of other things even if the guy is given life in prison or sent to the fryer…hopefully the latter, altho I can’t remember if OK has the death penalty.
Actually, I think it does…weren’t they one of the states that has been totally screwing the pooch with their administration of the drugs? Deputy Donation can enjoy himself a 45 minute heart attack…that’ll be great…because no, you don’t get to claim “oopsy, wrong thing with a trigger” when your training’s been falsified as a political favor and you keep the tazer on your chest and the firearm on your waist, nowhere near each other.