Danette O'Neal, PhD

INVESTIGATION IN FATAL TULSA OKLAHOMA POLICE SHOOTING- Chicago, Illinois – September 21, 2016 – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated expressed its outrage over yet another fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer and called for a thorough investigation.

Terence Crutcher, 40, was shot last Friday by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma after police responded to a 911 call about Crutcher’s stalled SUV in the middle of a roadway. A disturbing dashcam video shows Crutcher raising his hands when he was shot. Police Chief Chuck Jordan said investigators never found a weapon on Crutcher or in his vehicle.

Speaking on behalf of the Sorority’s 283,000 members worldwide, International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson extended condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Crutcher. She also expressed dismay over continuing incidents of excessive force and police brutality that disproportionately affect African Americans.

Crutcher is among at least 697 people — 172 of them black men — who have been fatally shot by police officers this year, according to a Washington Post database tracking police shootings.

“We are encouraged and grateful for the swift action by the U.S. Justice Department, along with state and local authorities who have launched an investigation to determine the facts surrounding the circumstances for the shooting,” Buckhanan Wilson said. “We join the call of the community at large in their demand for transparency, as well as improved training for local police, and urge the authorities to provide a fair and comprehensive accounting to the Crutcher family.”

Buckhanan Wilson urged the Tulsa Oklahoma community and supporters to remain calm amid their grief and await the outcome of the investigations. Buckhanan Wilson said Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, with a massive network of members of nearly 1,000 local chapters worldwide, plans to monitor the investigations and will remain vigilant to ensure that justice is served.