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Robert Bates, an
insurance executive who volunteered as a reserve sheriff's
deputy in Tulsa County, was found guilty in April of the charge
stemming from the 2015 death of Eric Harris.Bates, 74, will
receive credit for time already served, District Judge William
Musseman said. He has been held at the Tulsa County jail since
his conviction.
Lawyers for Bates said he thought he had a Taser rather than a
gun in his hand when he fired at Harris, 44. But prosecutors
said Bates' actions were tantamount to professional negligence.
The shooting, captured on video, was one in a series that raised
questions of racial bias in U.S. policing. Bates is white and
Harris, who was fleeing from deputies during a sting targeting
illegal gun sales, was African-American.
Citing Bates' health, defense attorneys said they plan to appeal
the sentence. Bates has been diagnosed with a host of medical
conditions, including sleep apnea, cardiovascular problems and
low testosterone.
Among the witnesses called to testify on Tuesday was Harris'
17-year-old son, Aiden, who said graduating from high school
this month without his father there "crushed him."
The younger Harris said he had forgiven Bates but said there had
to be consequences for his actions.
Musseman denied a request from Bates’ attorneys for a 30-day
extension to file a motion for a new trial. Oklahoma allows for
such a request if good cause can be shown, but Musseman
disagreed with the defense’s assertion that the lack of a
completed trial transcript met that threshold.
(Reporting by Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton; Editing by Leslie Adler and
Tom Brown)
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