Betty Shelby leaves the courtroom with her husband, Dave Shelby, right, after the jury in her case began deliberations in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Shelby, who fatally shot an unarmed black man last year, was found not guilty later Wednesday of first-degree manslaughter. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A white Oklahoma police officer acquitted in the killing of an unarmed black man will be allowed to return to work, Tulsa police Chief Chuck Jordan said Friday.
Jordan announced his decision in an emailed statement that said officer Betty Shelby will return to active duty, but she won't be patrolling Tulsa streets. Shelby was put on unpaid leave Sept. 22 when she was charged with manslaughter in the shooting of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher.
A jury found Shelby not guilty Wednesday.
Shelby's attorney, Shannon McMurray, told The Associated Press on Thursday that her client is unsure she would even want to go back to the Tulsa Police Department. McMurray said it would be dangerous for Shelby to patrol the streets again.
"She's going to self-guess herself and get herself killed or somebody else," McMurray said.
Crutcher's family has called for city leadership to block Shelby from returning to her job.
Jurors also said in a post-trial court filing on Friday that Shelby could have used a less-lethal method to subdue Crutcher and could have saved his life. The foreman of the jury also says in a three-page memo that jurors weren't comfortable with the idea that Shelby was "blameless" in Crutcher's death.
The foreman and others don't identify themselves in the memo. The jury comprised eight women and four men and included three African-Americans.
Shelby's attorney acknowledged the officer could have fired a stun gun instead of a firearm but said the officer had to make a "split-second" decision because Shelby thought Crutcher was armed. No gun was found.
Shelby said she fired her weapon out of fear because Crutcher ignored her commands to lie down and appeared to reach inside his SUV for what she thought was a gun. But prosecutors said she overreacted, arguing that Crutcher had his hands in the air and wasn't combative, part of which was confirmed by police video that showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby with his hands above his head.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, left, listens as Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan speaks during a press conference, Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Tulsa, Okla., about the not guilty verdict in Tulsa police office Betty Jo Shelby's manslaughter trial. A jury on Wednesday acquitted Shelby, a white Oklahoma police officer who says she fired out of fear last year, when she killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man with his hands held above his head. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
The Associated Press
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan speaks during a press conference, Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Tulsa, Okla., about the not guilty verdict in Tulsa police office Betty Jo Shelby's manslaughter trial. A jury on Wednesday acquitted Shelby, a white Oklahoma police officer who says she fired out of fear last year, when she killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man with his hands held above his head.(Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
The Associated Press
Protestors gather in front of the Mayo Hotel after a not guilty verdict for Tulsa Police Officer Betty Jo Shelby is announced at the Tulsa County Courthouse Wednesday, May 17, 2017, in Tulsa, Okla. Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Mary Fallin has called for calm after a jury found a Tulsa police officer not guilty in the shooting of an unarmed black man last year. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP)
The Associated Press
Tiffany Crutcher, sister of Terence Crutcher, and Benjamin Crump speak during a press conference in Tulsa, Okla., Thursday, May 18, 2017 after a Wednesday not guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial of Betty Shelby, a white Oklahoma police officer who fatally shot Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man. Crutchers' family has called on Tulsa city leadership to block Shelbyfrom returning to her job. (Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World via AP)
The Associated Press
Shannon McMurray, left, and Scott Wood, defense attorneys for Tulsa police officer Betty Jo Shelby, leave the courtroom following a motion in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Shelby was charged with first-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man. Shelby was found not guilty. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Associated Press
A group of protesters block Denver Ave. near the Tulsa County Courthouse following the not guilty verdict in Betty Jo Shelby's manslaughter trial in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday, May 18, 2017. Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Mary Fallin has called for calm after a jury on Wednesday found a Tulsa police officer not guilty in the shooting of an unarmed black man, Terence Crutcher, last year. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
The Associated Press