TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A law enforcement report shows several members of an Oklahoma sheriff's department raised serious concerns years ago about the performance and training of a volunteer deputy now charged in the fatal shooting of a restrained suspect.
Lawyers for Eric Harris' family on Friday released a Tulsa County Sheriff's Office memo outlining an investigation into Robert Bates.
Bates says he confused his handgun for his stun gun during an April 2nd sting and has pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter in Harris' death.
The 2009 report says Bates had inadequate training for a role as an advanced reserve deputy. He had joined the Sheriff's Office less than a year earlier.
The report found that Bates received special treatment that included department leaders' ignoring complaints about his performance.