Sheriff Stanley Glanz didn't specify why Undersheriff Tim Albin stepped down but said departmental reorganization was necessary following the April 2 shooting by reserve deputy Robert Bates, who says he mistook his handgun for a stun gun.
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Albin was named in a 2009 internal investigation released Friday that showed deputies had expressed concerns about Bates' performance. Some claimed Albin gave Bates preferential treatment and intimidated those who raised concerns. The former coordinator of the reserve deputy program, Sgt. Randy Chapman, told the investigator that Albin chastised him after he questioned Bates' performance.
The sheriff's office denied the report's existence before it was released. On Friday, an attorney for the sheriff's office said no action was taken as a result of the report, but that the document's existence "demonstrates this office's willingness to investigate and review any allegations of policy violations."
"You need to stop messing with (Bates) because he does a lot of good for the County," Chapman is quoted in the memo saying Albin told him that. Chapman declined to talk about the memo when contacted last week by The Associated Press and also declined Monday after Albin's resignation.
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44-year-old Eric Harris was shot while on the ground in custody after running from deputies following a sting operation. The 73-year-old Bates has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree manslaughter. Bates is white and Harris was black, but the victim's brother has said he doesn't believe race played a role in the shooting.
http://www.statesville.com/news/us/ap/tulsa-county-undersheriff-resigns-after-memo-fatal-shooting/article_1c93e0c0-2c9b-5d0e-bae6-52d47008cc8d.html
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