“I would hate to think that I was part of sitting there quietly and letting a movement take over and take our ability to protect and not only protect people, but get officers killed.”

Walton said Shelby’s position, which is unpaid, will involve job duties similar to those of full-time deputies. She has been subject to an interview and a background check, and she will soon undergo testing to qualify to carry a firearm while at work.

“I certainly feel like we’ve hit a lottery on this deal,” he said of the hire.

Shelby announced her resignation in July from the Tulsa Police Department, where she worked since 2011, saying she wanted to be in the field rather than be isolated pushing paper behind a desk. Her husband, David Shelby, who flew a helicopter over Crutcher’s shooting in north Tulsa, also parted ways with the agency and has since joined the Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

Betty Shelby had been on unpaid leave since being charged with manslaughter Sept. 22 but went back to work May 22 in a non-patrol capacity, receiving back pay for the months she was not in uniform.