Terence Crutcher’s parents are suing the City of Tulsa for their son’s death in a September 2016 police shooting.
Crutcher was shot and killed by former Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby. He was unarmed.
Shelby was acquitted of manslaughter in a subsequent trial. Crutcher’s mother, Leanna, said that doesn’t change what happened.
"My son was killed, regardless of the outcome. Everyone saw the video. I will never get over that, so don’t tell me to get over it," Leanna Crutcher said.
Crutcher’s father, the Rev. Joey Crutcher, said he and his wife have been in and out of courtrooms for almost two years and feel they have not been able to grieve Terence’s death.
"And with all that has been happening since the shooting of the young man in California — just brought back all of those memories again. The same steps that we went through, we’re seeing that family going through. It’s a never-ending fight," Joey Crutcher said.
The wrongful death lawsuit is separate from a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, Shelby and Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan. Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons said Terence Crutcher’s parents are precluded from benefitting from that action but have recourse under Oklahoma law.
"In that particular statute, they have a claim for their loss of companionship, their grief from their son who was taken away from them on Sept. 16, 2016," Solomon-Simmons said.
The lawsuit accuses the city of negligence in hiring and training Shelby and seeks at least $10,000 in damages.
