Terence Crutcher was a big dude. The 40-year-old Tulsa resident, one half of set of twins, had had run-ins with the police since his teens (although that was not uncommon in this city, with its long history of racial tensions), and was struggling with addiction. But he was also the father of four children and was committed to doing right by them. He renewed his faith and in church discovered a passion for music. He joined the church choir and sang gospel songs for his neighbors from his driveway. Excited about learning more, he enrolled in Tulsa Community College to learn about music and music production. “I’m gonna make you all proud,” he texted his family.
Terence Crutcher was murdered by police on September 16, 2016, over a disabled SUV. Fearing it would explode, he ditched the car on the highway and ran out, prompting two 911 calls. A cop responding to an unrelated domestic violence call arrived and, believing that Terence was under the influence, drew her weapon on him. Ignoring her order to kneel, he walked slowly back to his SUV as more cops, responding to the 911 calls, arrived. When Terrence reached his driver’s side door, one of the arriving cops tased him, while the first cop on the scene elected to shoot him through the heart instead. She would later claim he reached in through the window for a gun, though the window was closed and there was no gun on Terence or in his car. She now teaches classes to help other cops who kill to cope with being “victimized by anti-police groups.”
Black lives matter.
