Dave Shelby
Dave Shelby is the husband of the Tulsa officer, Betty Shelby. His wife has been accused of manslaughter in the death of Terence Crutcher.
Accoridng to today’s reports, Dave’s wife turned herself in last night and spent less than half hour in police custody. She is free after posting a $50,000 bond.
42-year-old Betty Shelby was shown on video fatally shooting an unarmed black man, identified as Terence Crutcher. She has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, authorities said on Thursday.
Shelby was filmed firing her gun at Terence –who was next to his abandoned SUV, in the middle of the road, on September 16 in the Oklahoma city.
Shelby has said she believed #TerenceCrutcher was under the influence at the time of the encounter.
Shelby was born in Poteau, Oklahoma. She graduated from Mannford High School in 1992, before studying biology at Northeastern State University, according to personnel files obtained by KJRH-TV.
Shelby was briefly a member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard in the year 2000. She left after injuring her knee.
Dave Shelby happens to be also, a fellow Tulsa police officer. Dave was on duty the night Crutcher was shot. In fact, accoridng to reports, he was in the helicopter at the time of the shooting.
Dave Shelby was in the helicopter that flew overhead and recorded the moments leading up to the shooting. In that video, released by the Tulsa Police Department on Monday, an officer is overheard describing Crutcher as a “bad dude.” However, a Tulsa police spokesman said Dave Shelby did not make the comment.
Instead it is believed Dave Shelby was the pilot in the helicopter. He was part of the crew shooting the aerial video footage.
Dave’s mother and Betty’s mother-in-law Lois Shelby, told media Betty was grieving for the victim’s family and is not prejudiced.
Accoridng to her Betty “thought she had to protect her own life,” when she fired the fatal shot.
Dave’s wife record of excessive force does not contribute to her account. According to KOTV reports, she has been accused twice of excessive force in her career. However, both of those complaints were determined to be unfounded.
Dave’s wife also has a bit of a dramatic past. Betty has been involved in two domestic violence cases in her personal life. One including the wife of her ex-husband filing a protective order against her.
Dave Shelby has been involved in pursuits in the Tulsa police helicopter. He received a medal of valor for his work on a kidnapping case. Dave is a former Army reservist who volunteered for duty in the Iraq war.
According to his LinkedIn, he is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix.
More Stories for you