US volunteer officer charged over death of black man

US prosecutors have charged a volunteer law enforcement officer over the death of a man who was shot dead as he lay on the ground at the officer’s feet.

Robert Bates, a 73-year-old insurance executive who was volunteering on an undercover operation in Oklahoma, mistakenly pulled out his handgun instead of a stun gun and shot the suspect as he struggled with deputies, officials said.

Bates, who is white, was charged with second-degree manslaughter involving culpable negligence for the death of Eric Harris, 44, who was black. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.