Hip Hop mourns another death at the hands of police after Terence Crutcher was shot and killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma Friday (September 16), according to the New York Times.
Police responded to reports that an abandoned car was blocking a road when they confronted Crutcher. Other reports say that the officers came upon the stalled car while responding to another call.
Authorities claim that the 40-year-old man was not listening to orders when interacting with the police. A second police car arrived on the scene and the officers surrounded Crutcher before tazing him. Moments later, Officer Betty Shelby reportedly fired the lone shot that killed Crutcher.
Two videos show the shooting with Crutcher’s hands in the air. One video is from the dash camera of one of the police cars on the scene. The other is police helicopter footage from above the scene. In both videos, the moments of the shooting are obstructed as the officers surround Crutcher.
Shelby’s lawyer, Scott Wood, said his client believed Crutcher had a weapon on him and reiterated that the man acted erratically during the incident. Crutcher reportedly reached into the car window before he was shot. Shelby, who has been on the force since 2011, is currently on paid administrative leave.
AD LOADING...
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan addressed the media, admitting that Crutcher was found to be unarmed. He continued by saying that the second squad car arrived after Shelby called for backup because Crutcher was not complying.
Crutcher’s family, which includes a twin sister, expresses sadness at the lost of their loved one to BBC. They ask for people to help them seek justice for the case, but to remain peaceful while protesting.
This comes months after Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot and killed by police within days of each other. The events, and shootings directed towards police, caused racial tensions to escalate in the United States.
Questlove addressed the incident in context with the current protest of the National Anthem by NFL players. San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick initiated the protest.
AD LOADING...
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said as his reasoning for not standing during the “Star Spangled Banner.” “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
View dozens of other reactions from the Hip Hop community to the death fo Terence Crutcher below.
