Page 110 - Robert Bates News Today

Extensive field experience and that sort of thing. robert bates is someone who by his own attorneys admission has given thousands of dollars of video equipment and other materials to the sheriffs department. hes been described as a benefactor of the sheriffs department and intimate friend of the sheriff here and the family says he paid his way into being a cop and many people questioning whether even if he was an experienced reserve deputy if he had any business being on an undercover operation ...

He was a police officer from 1964 to 1965. with 1,100 hours of community policing according to the sheriffs office. he was also a frequent contributor to the tulsa county sheriffs office. >> there are many reasons you might want to help your police department, but certainly the appearances of paying your way into the situation, it rubs me the wrong way. >> bates has made no public comment since the incident. and harris family is demanding an independent investigation. cnn, new york. >> want to g...

The fbi found 14 deaths were unjustified. one contractor sentenced to life in prison. the others received mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years. >> volunteer reserve deputy robert bates will face a second degree manslaughter charge after he use aid gun instead of his taser on an unarmed black man in the u.s. state of oklahoma. >> bates admits it was a mistake. he was with police, in an undercover weapons sting when the incident occurred. some allege that bates financial contributions to the pol...

Sullen, as he walked in. he didnt say anything. his attorney spoke briefly on his behalf. but he still has the support of the leadership here at the sheriffs department and his attorneys and the sheriffs department officials have been saying that they do not believe that the prosecutors should have filed charges -- criminal charges, against him. but theres also been a great deal of outcry of complaint about just how this case was handled and whether or not mr. bates, 73-year-old reserve deputy, ...

Clayton sandell has the story. >> the moment deputies catch up with suspect eric harris on the streets of tulsa, the worst should have been over. >> roll on your stomach. >> reporter: but this disturbing scene april 2nd was just beginning. i shot him. im sorry. >> reporter: that is the voice of 73-year-old volunteer reserve deputy robert bates apologizing after firing his gun instead of his taser. >> he dropped me. >> an hour later, harris is dead. the district attorney charged bates with second...

Its crazy this is going on. really upsetting. >> i appreciate you talking about this lamome morris. thank you very much from "new girl." >> thank you. lets continue on. youre watching cnn, im brooke baldwin. we begin with that volunteer sheriffs deputy who admitted he shot and killed a man by accident confusing his gun for his taser. today, 73-year-old robert bates turned himself in. his lawyer spoke out about the second-degree manslaughter charges his client faces. >> we will deficit this in ...

Brought to the ground seconds later. >> roll on your stomach, now. >> someone says taser. but a gunshot goes off. >> i shot him, im sorry. >> reporter: authorities say 73-year-old bob bates, an insurance broker and volunteer deputy pulled the trigger. >> he attempted to use a less lethal device. inadvertently, he used his handgun instead. >> reporter: according to authorities, bates thought he was firing a taser gun. harriss relatives say bates was unqualified and should have known the differenc...

Captured by another behavior that might be more well rehearsed or motorized internal than your initial intention. so what ends up happening is you do the opposite of what you intended. >> ed joins us now from tulsa. ive never heard of this slip and capture. youve been in touch with batess attorney since his client was charged with second-degree manslaughter. whats he saying now? whats the latest? >> they say that robert bates is not guilty of this manslaughter charge that he was doing his duties...

A reserve deputy. his attorney spoke with us and made that case. >> he is very upset about what happened. he feels badly. the incident completely took him by surprise. he has all the requisite training. taser certified. if you watched the video, you know he was quite shocked when his gun went off. >> reporter: sheriffs officers say robert bates grabbed his handgun instead of his taser. now an attorney for the family of eric harris says they dont know how a mistake could happen in this situation....

I just -- its just gonna be a little bit -- [ bleep ]. >> you got another one, or is that it? >> thats it. its a german luger. [ bleep ]. >> look out! hes running, hes running, hes running! >> and were told by sheriffs officials that robert bates was supposed to be in a backup role in this situation. that he was not on the front line of deputies that were supposed to make the arrests. but that when eric harris ran past those deputies he was thrust into the situation. they say he was in a backup ...