April 24--I'd like to propose a new rule: If you're awaiting trial on manslaughter charges, you don't get to go on vacation in the Bahamas.
I wouldn't have thought such a rule was necessary, but a judge in Oklahoma this week granted a 73-year-old Tulsa County sheriff's reserve deputy -- who apparently mistook his gun for a Taser and shot a man dead -- permission to go on vacation in the Bahamas before his next court date on July 2.
Hey, you're innocent until proven guilty, now get out there and have some fun. And don't forget the sunscreen!
If you're unfamiliar with this case, here's a rundown:
On April 2, reserve deputy Robert Bates was part of an undercover gun sting. Eric Harris, 44 and a convicted felon, was suspected of selling illegal guns.
As sheriff's deputies moved in, Harris ran and was tackled by one of the deputies. Bates, who was serving in a backup role, came running up and fired one shot into Harris.
On a video from the scene, Bates can be heard saying, "I shot him. I'm sorry."
Harris later died from the gunshot wound.
Bates explained to investigators that he thought he had his Taser but had accidentally grabbed his gun. The sheriff's office found Bates had not committed a crime, but the district attorney charged him with second-degree manslaughter. He is free on $25,000 bail.
This tragedy, based on these facts alone, raises all manner of questions. But even more questions pop up when you learn that Bates, a retired insurance executive, is a close friend of Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz, donated a bunch of vehicles to the department and ran the sheriff's 2012 re-election campaign.
There are also unanswered questions about how well Bates was trained and whether he was certified to use the gun he was carrying, a .357 Magnum revolver.
Bates deserves his day in court. But he does not deserve to pop off to the beach while awaiting trial.
Manny Medrano, a former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles, told USA Today: "This is far from routine -- it's extraordinary. I'm astounded the judge would allow it. You really have to question whether the officer is receiving unique and special treatment."
Harris's family released a statement saying: "Whether intended or not, Mr. Bates' vacationing in the Bahamas at this time sends a message of apathy with respect to the shooting and Eric's life. At a time when we are still mourning the death of a loved one that he shot down in the street, Mr. Bates will be relaxing and enjoying his wealth and privilege."
The family is right. You can argue the circumstances behind this shooting in any direction you want, but allowing Bates to take a vacation at this point seems, at best, tone deaf and, at worst, downright insulting.
We have witnessed a rash of cases recently in which white police officers have shot and killed unarmed black men. Bates is white, and Harris was black and unarmed. That doesn't mean the shooting was racially motivated in any way. In fact, it seems this tragedy was grounded more in excessive stupidity, both on the part of Bates and the sheriff's department that decided it was a good idea to use him.
But all these highly publicized, often videotaped deaths at the hands of police are giving people reason to feel afraid, and to question the fairness of our law enforcement and justice systems. When you take someone like Bates -- who took another man's life -- and tell him it's fine to leave the country and go on a trip many Americans only dream of, you're reinforcing that sense of unfairness.
It was a callous decision by the judge, and it's a shocking decision by Bates to suggest going in the first place. But I guess that's where we are in this country.
We need a rule that says when you shoot somebody you have to delay any pending tropical vacations. Maybe that'll be a deterrent.
Nothing else seems to be working.
rhuppke@tribpub.com
