Lawyer: Oklahoma Sheriff Deputy Robert Bates, 74, thought he had Tased unarmed career criminal Negro Eric Harris. Harris, 44, he killed with his real gun instead....

TULSA, Okla. — The reserve deputy who fatally shot an unarmed man was justified in his intended use of force, a defense attorney said in opening statements in his trial on Wednesday, as prosecutors said his actions warranted a conviction on manslaughter charges.


Robert Bates, 74, a white insurance executive who volunteered as a reserve deputy, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the killing an unarmed man, Eric Harris. Harris, 44, was fleeing from deputies last April in Tulsa during a sting targeting illegal gun sales. If convicted, Bates faces up to four years in prison.

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