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DA: Attorneys in Fatal Police Shooting Acting Unethically

Matt Trotter

 

 A prosecutor says attorneys for a white Oklahoma police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man last year are acting unethically by listing evidence in documents that wasn't allowed in court.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said Friday that attorneys for officer Betty Jo Shelby tried to influence public opinion by alleging in documents that a homicide detective told prosecutors they would lose any case they brought against her.

Defense attorneys say the first-degree manslaughter case lacks substance and was only filed as "a political move" to head off any civil unrest.

Shelby has pleaded not guilty in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher and is due in court Wednesday, when a judge will decide a motion by her attorneys to dismiss the case.

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