TULSA, Okla. (AP) – A former Oklahoma police officer who fatally shot his daughter’s black boyfriend in 2014 is on trial for the third time after jurors in previous trials couldn’t decide whether to convict him of first-degree murder.
Experts say Shannon Kepler’s case illustrates a broad unwillingness to convict police officers at trial, particularly cases involving fatal shootings – and even when the lines between officer and civilian are blurred.
Kepler was off duty when he shot 19-year-old Jeremey Lake. Kepler says Lake was armed and that he was acting in self-defense, but police didn’t find a weapon on Lake or at the scene.
Experts say people learn at an early age to respect authority figures like the police. They say that bias is hard to undo.