Lawyers for slain Tulsa man: Drug discussion a distraction
TULSA, Okla. — Investigators found the drug PCP in the vehicle of an unarmed black man fatally shot by a white officer, according to Oklahoma police, but attorneys for the slain man’s family say a discussion of drugs distracts from questions about the use of deadly force.
Tulsa Sgt. Dave Walker told the Tulsa World on Tuesday that investigators recovered one vial of PCP in Terence Crutcher’s SUV, but he declined to say where in the vehicle it was found or whether officers determined if Crutcher used it Friday night. Walker confirmed to The Associated Press that what he told the newspaper was true, but declined further comment.
A spokeswoman for the state medical examiner’s office said autopsy and toxicology results for Crutcher are pending, and police said Tuesday the toxicology report could take several weeks.
Attorneys for Crutcher’s family said the man’s relatives did not know whether drugs were found in his vehicle and, even if they were, that wouldn’t justify his fatal shooting.