OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s top investigative agency said Monday that it has opened an inquiry into allegations of misconduct within the Tulsa County sheriff’s office after the fatal shooting of a restrained man by a volunteer deputy and the release of a 2009 memo that raised concerns about the volunteer’s training.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release it is investigating the April 2 shooting, when reserve Deputy Robert Bates, who has said he confused his stun gun with his handgun, shot Eric Harris. Bates has since resigned from the reserve-deputy program and pleaded innocent to second-degree manslaughter. Bates is white and Harris was black, but the victim’s brother has said he does not believe race played a role.
After the shooting, a memo surfaced indicating that officials within the sheriff’s office pressured the staff to ignore Bates’ lack of training.
The state agency said it launched the investigation at the request of Okmulgee County District Attorney O.R. Barris, who was assigned to the case by the Oklahoma attorney general’s office after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler asked that someone else be appointed to investigate the office to avoid any perception of a conflict.
The state agency said it will present Barris with a written report when its investigation is complete and the district attorney will decide whether any state laws have been violated. It did not say how long its investigation may take or whether Sheriff Stanley Glanz will be part of its focus.
Bates is a longtime friend of Glanz, donated tens of thousands of dollars in cash and equipment to the sheriff’s office and was Glanz’s campaign manager during the 2012 election.