The manslaughter conviction of a 76 year old Robert Bates, a white former Tulsa County reserve deputy who fatally shot Eric Harris, an unarmed black man has been upheld.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected the appeal.
The 44 year old Harris was shot during an undercover investigation. Bates said he mistook his handgun for his stun gun. He was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and was paroled in October after serving 16 months of a four year sentence.
Bates was paroled in October after serving just more than 16 months of a four-year prison sentence.
The shooting prompted a grand jury investigation of the sheriff’s office. That led to the indictment and resignation of Sheriff Stanley Glanz.
