"Fuck your breath!" Tulsa Country Sheriff's deputy who shot unarmed suspect instead of using his Taser bought his way onto the force.

Courtesy of New York Magazine:  

Over a week ago, an unarmed black man named Eric Courtney Harris was killed by 73-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, "reserve deputy" police officer Bob Bates. This happened shortly after Harris sold ammunition and a gun to some undercover cops, who moved to arrest him. Harris fled and — according to the explanation given by officials — Bates accidentally shot the 44-year-old while trying to Tase him: "During the rapidly evolving altercation, the reserve deputy had what he believed was his Taser from his tactical carrier ... Initial reports have determined that the reserve deputy was attempting to use less lethal force, believing he was utilizing a Taser, when he inadvertently discharged his service weapon, firing one round which struck Harris," said a report. Body-camera footage of the shooting, which was released on Friday, adds yet another horrifying dimension to the incident. 

In the (extremely upsetting) video, Harris can be seen running down a sidewalk. Officers order him to get down, someone yells "Taser!" and a gunshot is heard. Bates yells, "I shot him! I'm sorry." Meanwhile, Harris is crying, "He shot me! He shot me, man. Oh my God. I'm losing my breath." 

"Fuck your breath!" a cop responds. "Shut the fuck up!" "You shouldn’t have fucking ran!" his colleague adds as they hold Harris down. Harris died about an hour later at a nearby hospital.

Now you may be asking yourself just how in the hell does a trained deputy mistake a handgun for a Taser? Well this might help to explain that:  

The reserve Tulsa County Sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot and killed a man last week when he thought he had pulled his Taser, is part of a group of wealthy donors who make large contributions to the department for the privilege of playing police officer. 

According to Tulsa World, Robert Bates, 73, who made the fatal mistake that cost a man his life, is a local insurance company executive who has donated multiple vehicles, weapons, and stun guns to the Sheriff’s Office since becoming a reserve deputy in 2008.

A seventy three year old man, who bought his way into the Sheriff's Department so he could play cop. Gee why would anybody think something might go wrong?

Of course that in no way explains, or justifies, the deputy with his knee on this dying man's neck telling him "Fuck your breath!"

For his part Bob Bates is facing charges of second degree manslaughter.

As for the other officers on the scene who responded so callously to the pleading of a dying man, there are apparently no charges forthcoming.