Opening Statements Begin In Bob Bates Trial

Opening statements began in the second-degree manslaughter trial of former Tulsa County reserve deputy, Bob Bates.

Wednesday, attorneys for both sides spent the morning continuing to question potential jurors.

Bates is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Eric Harris during an undercover sting last year. Bates said he accidentally pulled his gun instead of his Taser.

When the prosecutor made his opening statement, he told the jurors the whole case happened in a matter of ten minutes.

He admitted that Harris made a lifetime of bad decisions and choices that brought him to that day. But he said Bates also made choices that brought him there.

The prosecutor said Bates' only job that day was to make a lot of noise, flash a lot of lights, and if less lethal measures were need, he was to employ that.

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When the defense addressed the jury, he said Harris went by the nickname of ‘40’ and that he was a gang member.

He also said the operation was very well planned out and very thorough by the drug task force team. But, he said that Bates did accidentally grabbed his gun instead of his Taser.

He said they're the same weight, have the same grip and the same laser sight.

The attorney said he intends to call an expert witness from Yale who is going to say, in the past, even Navy Seals and Army Rangers have made this kind of mistake under stress.