White Guard Charged With Killing Black Motel Guest

Christopher Straight is charged with first-degree manslaughter
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 20, 2020 4:00 PM CDT
White Guard Charged With Killing Black Motel Guest
Christopher Straight.   (Tulsa Police Dept.)

A white Oklahoma security guard has been arrested in the killing a black motel guest who had argued with the manager, NBC News reports. The guard, 53-year-old Christopher Straight, was charged June 6 with first-degree manslaughter for the death of Carlos Carson that day. "Based on our investigation, we discovered that the victim was walking past the suspect's vehicle when the suspect emerged and sprayed the victim with pepper spray, seemingly without warning," Tulsa police said. Carson, 36, had complained to the manager about his car being vandalized and asked to see security footage, but the manager said he had to call police, according to Carson's brother Ananias, who is himself a Tulsa police officer.

A probable cause affidavit says Straight and Carson had words about the vandalism and Carson was asked to leave the property, Tulsa World reports. Straight then pepper-sprayed Carson a few minutes later, sparking a physical struggle that ended with Carson being shot. Straight apparently said he used mace to deter a possible attack and killed Carson in self-defense. "You don't get to pick a fight and claim self-defense," said a police lieutenant. Straight had been a sergeant at the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office but left in 2018 during an internal investigation. Now Ananias says the family is grappling with the loss of Carlos, who had three children. "It was an unprovoked situation," said Ananias. "That's what makes it so hard to really deal with." (More shooting stories.)

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