TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A Tulsa County deputy has testified that he saw a now-former volunteer deputy apparently sleeping shortly before shooting and killing an unarmed man during an undercover gun-sale sting.
Deputy Ricardo Vaca testified Thursday in the second-degree manslaughter trial of 74-year-old Robert Bates. Bates has pleaded not guilty in the April 2015 shooting death of Eric Harris and said he thought he was pulling his stun gun when he pulled his revolver and shot Harris while deputies were subduing him.
Vaca testified that he was parked next to Bates and saw him "kind of dozing" several minutes before Harris fled and was caught, then shot.
Vaca is the deputy who tackled Harris and was wearing the camera that recorded the shooting.
Bates faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A Tulsa County deputy has testified that he saw a now-former volunteer deputy apparently sleeping shortly before shooting and killing an unarmed man during an undercover gun-sale sting.
Deputy Ricardo Vaca testified Thursday in the second-degree manslaughter trial of 74-year-old Robert Bates. Bates has pleaded not guilty in the April 2015 shooting death of Eric Harris and said he thought he was pulling his stun gun when he pulled his revolver and shot Harris while deputies were subduing him.
Vaca testified that he was parked next to Bates and saw him "kind of dozing" several minutes before Harris fled and was caught, then shot.
Vaca is the deputy who tackled Harris and was wearing the camera that recorded the shooting.
Bates faces up to four years in prison if convicted.