Stanley Glanz has agreed to resign as sheriff of Tulsa County after a grand jury charged him with two misdemeanors and suggested that he should be removed from the police force after the fatal shooting of Eric Harris on April 2. There is a possibility that Glanz will officially resign by Nov. 11, but nothing has been affirmed, reported The Guardian.
The grand jury contemplated the fate of Glanz for 20 long days and had finally decided that Glanz violated company policies by letting his friend Robert Bates serve has a reserve deputy and carry weapons. It has been affirmed that Bates didn't receive formal training for that responsibility, according to Reuters. The .38-caliber revolver that Bates carried, which is believed to be the one that killed Harris, wasn't ever authorized by the police department.
The first indictment was for Glanz not promptly releasing documents in regards to the shooting investigation. The second indictment was related to the $600 stipend that Glanz received for his personal vehicle, though he actually used his county vehicle instead.
"The shooting death of Eric Harris which occurred on April 2, 2015 was a tragedy for his family, the community, and the sheriff's office. That shooting has placed a spotlight on this office and my management of the office. I know that my decisions have caused some to criticize me both publicly and privately. As sheriff, I take responsibility for all decisions made by me or in my name but I assure you they were all made in good faith. I truly regret that any of my actions have led to the impaneling of this grand jury, and the disruptions in the lives of the jurors and the witnesses," Glanz wrote in a statement.
"(Glanz) could have saved the county all this money - thousands and thousands of dollars. All he had to do was step down, but now he's indicted," explained Marq Lewis, the lead of We the People Oklahama. Lewis was the person responsible for pushing for the grand jury petition.
The jury left the sheriff's office with some words of advice, which was that they need to improve their training and record-keeping.
