Five Oklahoma City officers charged with manslaughter in teen's shooting death

Five Oklahoma City police officers were charged with first-degree manslaughter Wednesday in last November's fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy. Stavian Rodriguez was shot by officers responding to reports of an attempted armed robbery at an Oklahoma City convenience store on Nov. 23.

TV news video appeared to show Rodriguez outside a gas station, dropping a gun. The boy raises his hands, then lowers them before being shot.

Oklahoma City District Attorney David Prater charged five of the responding officers with first-degree manslaughter. If convicted, they could face up to life in prison.

The officers charged are Bethany Sears, Jared Barton, Corey Adams, John Skuta and Brad Pemberton. A sixth officer, Sergeant Sarah Carli, used a "less-lethal" weapon and won't be charged, police said.

According to court documents cited by CBS Oklahoma City affiliate KWTV, as several officers were giving commands, Rodriguez lifted his shirt and showed his waistline. The documents say he pulled a gun from his pants and dropped it.

The documents say Rodriguez then put his left hand in his back pocket and his right hand in his front pocket. That's when Carli fired the less lethal round that hit Rodriguez. Adams, Barton, Sears, Skuta and Pemberton then "unnecessarily" fired the rounds that hit and killed Rodriguez, the documents say.

Officials said a cellphone was found in Rodriguez's left pocket where he had his hand at the time of the shooting, KWTV reported. No other weapons for found on Rodriguez.

A cellphone was found in the pocket where Rodriguez had his hand at the time of the shooting, the station added. No other weapons were found on him.

An autopsy determined he suffered 13 gunshot wounds, DA Prater's investigator, Willard Paige, wrote in an affidavit.

John George, president of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police, defended the officers' actions.

"Officers must make life and death decisions in a split second, relying on their training. When an armed robbery suspect did not obey police commands, five officers perceived the same threat and simultaneously fired their weapons," he said. "A loss of life is always a tragedy and we know these officers did not take firing their weapons lightly. The OKC FOP stands by these officers and maintains they acted within the law."

The officers have been on administrative leave since the shooting.

Police released the officers' body camera footage after the boy's mother sued for it last month.