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Terence Crutcher Update: The Way Tulsa Police Just Lied Is Insane

By Antonio J. Newell
Published on: 08:55 PST, Sep 21, 2016

Terence Crutcher encountered supreme injustice at the hands of Tulsa police. However, it seems their lies have caught up with them. Attorneys for Terence Crutcher’s family are calling the officers’ testimonies blatant “misinformation.”

By now, you probably know Terence’s story and have seen the Crutcher videos. Well, what you have seen is still one-sided, according to updated reports.

Terence Crutcher’s Abandoned Vehicle

KFOR-4 News reports the 911 call which started the calamity, turning into Crutcher’s untimely demise. The source mentions two 911 calls coming in regarding Terence’s SUV.

The first call about Crutcher’s vehicle came from a woman complaining that his SUV was blocking the street.

“Somebody left their vehicle running in the middle of the street with their doors wide open. The doors are open, the vehicle is still running. It’s an SUV. It’s in the middle of the street, it’s blocking traffic.”

She also noted that Terence Crutcher was running from the vehicle while warning traffic of a possible explosion. The source doesn’t mention the second caller’s dialogue.

What Happened Before the Terence Crutcher Video?

Around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 16, Tulsa Officer Betty Shelby arrived at the scene. The source mentions that Crutcher was sitting on the side of the road, nowhere near his vehicle, when Shelby pulled up. His family says that he was awaiting a ride due to the condition of his truck.

Once Shelby was there, the source mentions that Terence Crutcher approached her vehicle. Sometime during their conversation, she deemed Terence uncooperative and called for backup. That’s where the videos pick up, from both the aerial shot and dashcam.

Betty Shelby Acted in Self-Defense?

According to Independent, that’s the angle Shelby took.

It’s weird, right? There were at least three other officers on-scene, all pointing weapons at Terence Crutcher. Yet, she was the one fearing for her life. Get out of here. That’s a line straight from the playbook.

According to the New York Daily News, former NYPD officer Frank Serpico advised the public to listen for that one. He mentioned that officers use that statement frequently when it comes to misfires and premature actions.

Terence Crutcher Couldn’t Have Reached Inside His SUV

According to KFOR-4 News, police mentioned Terence Crutcher as being noncompliant and possibly on PCP. Likewise, police testimony notes that Crutcher reached into his vehicle, and that’s when Betty Shelby fired her shots for “fear of her life.”

The source dictates as follows.

“Jeanne MacKenzie, Tulsa Police public information officer, said that the responding officers on the ground thought Crutcher had reached his hands into the driver’s side window of the vehicle.”

Interesting, but how is that possible when the driver side window wasn’t down? Yes, enhanced photographic evidence shows that Terence Crutcher’s window was “all the way up.”

The Independent reports that police note Crutcher’s hand as having gone through the window. Just one lie after another, it seems.

Unfortunately for these Tulsa officers, their misinformation was found. You can even see the blood splatter and run on the window.

Not to play CSI, but common sense dictates that, if Terence’s window were down, there wouldn’t have been an initial splatter point, right? Furthermore, Police Chief Chuck Jordan felt that the situation was so misleading he had to specifically clarify as follows.

“I’m going to tell you right here now: There was no gun on the suspect or in the suspect’s vehicle.”

You know it must be serious when your police chief doesn’t have your back, right? And, it seems like he’s not the only one.

Attorneys Speak on Behalf of Terence Crutcher’s Death

Benjamin Crump, one of the lawyers defending Crutcher’s family, wasn’t going to stand for this blatant lie.

“We thought it was important to address this misinformation that was put out for public consumption. How could he be reaching into the car if the window is up and there is blood on the glass?”

If you look at the enhanced photo, you can see that Terence Crutcher’s blood runs from the window down on to the vehicle’s door, leaving an aligned trail.

There’s foul play here, and neither the police chief nor Terence Crutcher’s family attorneys are having it.

What are your thoughts regarding this update on Crutcher’s case? Feel free to share them in the comments.

[Featured Image by Sue Ogrocki/AP Images]

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