A 73-year-old Oklahoma reserve deputy who fatally shot a suspect pinned down by officers has pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter.
Robert Bates declined to comment to reporters as he made his initial court appearance in Tulsa district court on Tuesday. His next court date is scheduled for July 2.
The Tulsa County volunteer has said he shot Eric Harris on April 2 after confusing his stun gun with his handgun. The 44-year-old suspect died after running from a sting operation involving gun sales.
The district lawyer charged Bates after the sheriff's office released a video in which Bates is overheard apologising for shooting the suspect.
In separate news conferences on Monday, the county sheriff and lawyers for Harris' family disagreed on whether the reserve officer should have been allowed to conduct police work.
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Sheriff Stanley Glanz said Bates, his longtime insurance agent and former campaign manager, had been properly trained and passed annual firearms certifications required by the state.
Dan Smolen, a lawyer for Harris' family, said the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office had violated a number of its internal policies by letting Bates carry his personal handgun after training at the range on another weapon. Smolen also said the department failed to keep a permanent record of Bates' training, in violation of local policies.
Records Bates released during the weekend showed that the volunteer officer was trained on a .45, not the weapon used in Harris' death.
Fatal shootings by police officers and other law enforcement agents have become a major issue in the US over the past year. Many of the cases have led to debate about the treatment of black men and boys by law enforcement agencies.
Bates is white while Harris was black.
