TULSA - The Tulsa Police Department helicopter transcriptions of the night Terence Crutcher, 40, was fatally shot by a police office were released Monday.
TPD officer Betty Shelby was identified as the person who fatally shot Crutcher. Officer Tyler Turnbough was also identified as the one who first used a Taser gun on Crutcher.
WARNING: The video above may be too graphic for some viewers. Watch with discretion. The shooting takes place at 00:34.
The recordings of the TPD helicopter show the point of view from those manning the helicopter that flew over the scene. Tulsa Police Officer Mackenzie later confirmed that Dave Shelby, the husband of Officer Betty Shelby, was the pilot in the helicopter.
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First, those inside the helicopter say “Police One, we are 10-97 without him. 303. Dispatch then answers “19-43.”
In laymen’s terms when police dispatch calls out a “10-97” that means “arrived on scene.” After identifying that the helicopter is on scene, they ask “Alright, Betty-Jo, where are you at?”
Then the person inside the helicopter states “He’s got his hands up there for them now.”
After identifying that the person has “his hands up,” the person in the helicopter says, addressing another person possibly inside the helicopter says, “Mike I’m gonna [sic] hit the record it. This guy is still walking.”
Someone says a phrase that is garbled but possibly sounds like “And following commands?” Then someone in the helicopter says “Not for Taser, I think.”
Around seven seconds following that conversation, someone in the helicopter says “Also, got a feeling it’s about to happen. It looks like a bad dude, too. Might be on something.”
Then police officer traffic can be heard saying “Which way are they facing?” After that someone in the helicopter can be heard saying “Police One, they are facing westbound. Uhh, I think he may have just been tasered.”
The officers on dispatch can be heard shouting, “Shots fired!” With someone in the helicopter saying “Ohhhhh.”
Then officer dispatch can be heard saying “3-21, we have shots fired. We have one suspect down. We need EMSA here.”
Then someone in the helicopter says “We need to get this, uhh, eastbound closed down if they could ‘cause [sic] they aren’t going to let anybody. OK?” Then a person in the helicopter continues, “Police One, we are going to need to get eastbound 36th Street, no actually we are just going to need 36th street north shut down about at Lewis and then probably back off about three or four blocks to the west of there.”
After that statement, someone in the helicopter says “I’m going up a little higher now that they are here.”
Then police officer scanner traffic can be heard saying “Adam, 305, if we haven’t already start EMSA.” Then police dispatch can be heard saying “10-4, they are out.”
Not much longer, around 19 seconds, Tulsa police scanner traffic can be heard saying “Charlie, 305 on scene.”
And someone in the helicopter can be heard saying “Is that car clear? Say what now buddy? Hopefully they’ve cleared car. I didn’t see anybody necessarily looking in the car. I don’t know. Police One has anyone cleared the vehicle yet?”
Then on officer scanner traffic someone says “10-4.”
And someone in the helicopter says “OK, got two officers going down back here.”
You can then hear “Hey, we need a lane open so EMSA can get in,” on Tulsa police officer scanner traffic.
Then someone in the helicopter can be heard saying “Hey, that’s Betty that’s down. We need to go back man, if we need to. Then someone in the helicopter says “No, it’s OK. She’s a big girl, man. I’ve got my job to do, too.”
After about 19 more second, one of the people in the helicopter can be heard saying “After we land, I’ll go check on her.”
Around a minute later, Tulsa police officer scanner traffic can be heard saying “Charlie 39. We are secure. I’m going to need a tactical and go ahead and start me a crime scene and an on duty captain, please.”
Below is the full script.
Helicopter: Police one we are 10-97 without him. 303.
Tulsa police dispatch: 19-43
Helicopter: Alright, Betty-Jo where are you at?
Helicopter: He’s got his hands up there for them now.
Helicopter: Mike, I’m gonna [sic] hit the record it.This guy is still walking. [Then a garbled sentence that sounds somewhat like “and following commands?” can be heard but is not confirmed who says this or if that is what they are saying] Not for Taser, I think.
Helicopter (panning the scene, looking down): Also got a feeling it’s about to happen. It looks like a bad dude too. Might be on something.”
TPD scanner traffic: Which way are they facing?”
Helicopter: One they are facing west bound. Uhh, I think he may have just been tasered.
TPD scanner traffic: Shots fired!
Helicopter: Ohhhh.
TPD scanner traffic: 3-21, we have shots fired. We have one suspect down. We need EMSA here.
Helicopter: We need to get this, uhh, eastbound closed down if they could ‘cause [sic] they aren’t going to let anybody. Okay.
Police One we are going to need to get eastbound 36thStreet, no actually we are just going to need 36th Street North shut down about at Lewis and then probably back off about three or four blocks to the west of there.
Helicopter: I’m going up a little higher now that they are here.
TPD scanner traffic: Adam, 305, if we haven’t already start EMSA.
TPD dispatch: 10-4, they are out.
TPD scanner traffic: Charlie, 305, on scene
Helicopter: Is that car clear? Say what now buddy? Hopefully they’ve cleared car. I didn’t see anybody necessarily looking in the car. I don’t know. Police One has anyone cleared the vehicle yet?
TPD scanner traffic: 10-4
Helicopter: OK, got two officers going down back here.
TPD scanner traffic: Hey, we need a lane open so EMSA can get in.
Helicopter: Hey, that’s Betty that’s down. We need to go back man if we need to. No, it’s okay. She’s a big girl man. I’ve got my job to do too.
Helicopter: After we land I’ll go check on her.
TPD scanner traffic: Charlie 39. We are secure (seems to be talking about vehicle traffic). I’m going to need a tactical and go ahead and start me a crime scene and an on-duty captain, please.
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