Report: Unpaid Tulsa deputy's records were falsified

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption See what happened before deputy fired gun instead of Taser Authorities say Eric Harris was trying to sell an undercover officer a gun when more officers arrived and he fled. Police cameras captured the exchange, chase and deadly shooting by reserve deputy Robert Bates, who says he meant to fire his stun gun.

Reports that a volunteer Tulsa deputy sheriff who says he fatally shot an unarmed black man by accident was certified with falsified training records are not true, the lawyer for Deputy Robert Bates said Thursday.

Corbin Brewster questions a report in the Tulsa World, citing multiple sources the newspaper did not name, saying sheriff's department supervisors had been ordered to give Bates credit for field training he never got and firearms certifications he never earned.

"I think I have an idea of who these sources are and I would say they are disgruntled," Brewster told USA TODAY. Brewster added that, in addition to hundreds of hours of reserve deputy training, Bates served briefly as a Tulsa police officer decades ago and had completed police academy training.

"As far as I know there was no falsification of records at any time," Brewster said.

Bates, 73, faces a manslaughter charge in the shooting of Eric Harris during a physical struggle with other deputies April 2. In a videotape of the incident, the shot is heard before Bates says, "I shot him. I'm sorry."

Bates said he meant to shoot Harris, 44, with his stun gun but drew and fired his handgun instead.

Bates, an insurance executive, has donated cars and other equipment to the sheriff's office -- and donated to the re-election campaign of Sheriff Stanley Glanz.

Details of Bates' certification began to unravel Tuesday, when Glanz told KFAQ radio that Bates had qualified with three different weapons — but that the paperwork had been misplaced.

The World says three supervisors were transferred after declining to approve Bates' training.

Undersheriff Tim Albin and two public information officers were not immediately available for comment when USA TODAY contacted the sheriff's department Thursday. Albin has previously said that he was unaware of any problems with Bates' training or certification.

Maj. Shannon Clark told CNN he questioned the validity of the World report.

"Just keep in mind that the Tulsa World reporter cannot validate her sources and claims anonymity, which leaves us skeptical that her claims are unsubstantiated and deceptive," Clark wrote in an email to the news network.

Dylan Goforth, one of the World reporters on the story, told CNN the paper heard "almost immediately" from multiple sources that training records had been falsified.

Lawyer Dan Smolen, who represents the Harris family, told CNN that Bates essentially paid for the right to play cop.

"It's absolutely mind-boggling that you have a wealthy businessman who's been essentially deputized to go play like he's some outlaw, like he's just cleaning up the streets," Smolen said.

Bates is free on $25,000 bail awaiting trial on the manslaughter charge. Glanz has described Bates as a longtime friend who made "an error" when he fatally shot Harris trying to flee deputies during an undercover operation to retrieve stolen guns.

The sheriff's department website says "dedicated reserve deputies work full-time jobs in the community and volunteer their time in a myriad of events such as the Special Olympics and Tulsa State Fair."

Bates, however, had reached advanced reserve status and was assigned to the sheriff's Violent Crimes Task Force. The video of the shooting shows Harris running away from officers pursuing him on foot. Harris is caught and put to the ground, where a struggle ensues.

Bates arrives at the scene and a single gunshot is heard, then, "Oh, I'm sorry. I shot him." Harris is heard screaming, "He shot me. Oh my God!" adding that he is having trouble breathing. A deputy responds "(Expletive) your breath."

Brewster bristled at the characterization of Bates as a paying to play cop. Bates is a benevolent man who has supported other community efforts, Brewster said, adding that Bates takes his work as a deputy seriously.

"The first words out of Bob's mouth (after the shooting) were 'I'm sorry,'" Brewster said. "He was completely transparent. On a personal level, my heart really goes out to him."