The Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused to delay a grand jury investigation into the Tulsa sheriff's office after an ex-reserve deputy shot an unarmed man.
Court referee Greg Albert said the court ruled 7-0 Thursday.
It means a grand jury will assemble Monday to investigate whether Sheriff Stanley Glanz neglected his duties and whether reservists who gave gifts to the sheriff — including Robert Bates, who fatally shot Eric Harris on April 2 — were given special treatment.
Thousands of residents signed the petition in the wake of the shooting, which Bates said happened because he mistook his handgun for a stun gun.
A district judge had rejected arguments by Glanz's attorneys that the petition drive didn't comply with state laws. They then appealed to the state Supreme Court.