Supreme Court declines to hear former Tulsa officer's appeal for qualified immunity

TULSA, Okla. — The US Supreme Court has declined to hear the appeal of former Tulsa police officer Betty Jo Shelby in Shelby v. Manning, a case where Shelby was seeking qualified immunity.

Shelby was found not guilty in the 2016 shooting death of Terence Crutcher, 40, on a street in Tulsa. Crutcher was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

A civil case is active against Shelby in connection to the shooting.

Now, the March 2026 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit where Shelby was denied qualified immunity stands.

According to a release, a federal court previously granted summary in Shelby's favor. However, that that decision was overturned by the Tenth Circuit.

"The court found that, viewing the evidence in the estate's favor, Shelby "provided too little justification" for using deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against excessive force," the release said.

With the decision, the case returns to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. A civil trial is scheduled for February.