Robert Bates, Former Tulsa Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy, Convicted for Shooting Eric Harris in Oklahoma
A former reserve deputy in Oklahoma who said he mistook his gun for his Taser when he shot and killed a suspect has been convicted of second-degree manslaughter. Robert Bates, 74, was a volunteer with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office when he killed Eric Harris during a sting operation in April 2015.
Tulsa World describes the incident, which began with Harris allegedly selling a gun to an undercover deputy, this way:
“As multiple deputies struggled to restrain Harris on the ground after a short pursuit, Bates approached holding a nonlethal weapon in one hand and a lethal one in the other, [Assistant District Attorney John David] Luton reminded jurors.
“Seeing a small area of Harris’ body where he wasn’t covered by deputies, Bates announced that he was going to use his Taser and shot a bullet that struck Harris inches from another deputy’s head, witnesses testified.”
The jury recommended the maximum sentence of four years in prison; sentencing is scheduled for May 31.