Thursday, August 10th 2023, 12:13 pm
Several civil and human rights groups are calling for a federal investigation into the Oklahoma County District Attorney's decision to clear seven Oklahoma City metro police officers involved in three deadly shootings of any wrongdoing.
Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna made the announcement last month after she said a team of attorneys decided the officers' use of force was justified.
"If a suspect is trying to evade arrest, and the suspect is believed to have committed a crime involving serious bodily harm or the threat of serious bodily harm, force even deadly force can be justifiable," Behenna said.
RELATED: Oklahoma County DA Drops Charges In Officer-Involved Shootings
The civil and human rights organizations, ranging from the People’s Council for Justice Reform, the Oklahoma chapter of the NAACP and Black Lives Matter, among others, are calling the decision a "total miscarriage of justice."
"Behenna’s decision to overlook the 'reasonable officer standard,' and to focus instead on 'justifiable deadly force' by an officer is political," the group said.
The group also said the decision will lead to an increase in the number of instances of police brutality.
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