The Estate of Eric Harris is Awarded $6 Million by Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Officials for his Death in a Police-Involved Shooting
In March 2018, Tulsa County, Oklahoma officials agreed to pay $6 million to the estate of Eric Harris, an African American. A Caucasian reserve deputy with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office allegedly shot and killed 44-year-old Harris on April 4, 2015, saying he thought his gun was an electronic weapon. The reserve deputy has since been convicted of manslaughter in the death of Harris, and he is serving the maximum prison term allowed, which is four years. The lawsuit was filed with the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma, and the settlement is the largest for an excessive force case in the history of the state. The alleged fatal police-involved shooting was captured on video, and it stirred controversy regarding U.S. policing with racial bias.
The civil rights lawsuit was filed in January 2016. In it, officials with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are held responsible for the reserve deputy’s alleged excessive use of deadly force.
Actions that followed the 2015 incident included:
- The reserve deputy program was suspended
- A grand jury investigation of the sheriff’s department was instigated
- The Tulsa County Sheriff at the time of the alleged police-involved shooting resigned
At the time the incident occurred, the reserve deputy had been working with other deputies targeting illegal guns in a sting operation. Harris was on the ground when the reserve deputy allegedly shot him.
As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.
–Guest Contributor
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