FBI Determines Civil Rights Investigation ‘Not Warranted’ In Okla. Shooting

In this screen shot from April 2, 2015 video provided by the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, police restrain 44-year-old Eric Harris after he was chased down and tackled by a Tulsa County Deputy, and then shot by a re... In this screen shot from April 2, 2015 video provided by the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, police restrain 44-year-old Eric Harris after he was chased down and tackled by a Tulsa County Deputy, and then shot by a reserve sheriff's deputy while in custody, in Tulsa, Okla. The sheriff's office said 73-year-old reserve deputy Robert Charles Bates fired the shot that killed Harris, believing he was using his stun gun instead of his service weapon when he opened fire. (AP Photo/Tulsa County Sheriff's Office) MORE LESS
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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.

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