Ex-Oklahoma reserve deputy sentenced to four years in death A former Oklahoma volunteer sheriff’s deputy who said he mistook his handgun for his stun gun when he fatally shot an unarmed suspect last year was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison.
A judge gave 74-year-old Robert Bates the maximum penalty recommended by jurors who last month convicted the wealthy insurance executive of second-degree manslaughter.
The shooting sparked several investigations which revealed an internal memo questioning Bates’ qualifications as a volunteer deputy.
