Photo: Careless cop Robert Bates in court. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
A wealthy insurance executive who traded favors for a badge, gun, and false training records was sentenced to 4 years in prison for accidentally* killing an unarmed robbery suspect by grabbing his gun instead of his taser. At age 74 and in failing health, Robert Bates doesn’t have 4 years to spare. Yes, it’s hard on him and his family; but Eric Harris’ death is hard on his family. This wouldn’t have happened had Bates stuck to selling insurance.
*Of course, there will always be a suspicion that it wasn’t an accident, that Bates knew exactly what he was doing, that he’s a racist who saw the arrest situation as a golden opportunity to kill a black man and get away with it. I’m not saying that’s what happened; to the contrary, in my headline and article here, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt and calling it an accident.