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Tulsa police officer will return to duty after not guilty verdict

Posted at 5:45 PM, May 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 17:45:42-04

TULSA, Oklahoma — Tulsa Police said Officer Betty Shelby is being returned to duty after she was found not guilty for manslaughter charges.

The Department said she will not be assigned in a patrol capacity.

On Wednesday a jury acquitted Officer Shelby who fatally shot Terence Crutcher last year.

The jury reached its verdict after deliberating for over nine hours Wednesday.

Tulsa Officer Betty Jo Shelby says she shot 40-year-old Terence Crutcher out of fear because she said he didn't obey commands to lie on the ground and appeared to reach inside his SUV for what she thought was a gun.

Prosecutors argued that Shelby overreacted, arguing that Crutcher had his hands in their air and wasn't combative.