VERO BEACH — The Tulsa, Okla., volunteer deputy embroiled in a fatal shooting when he fired his gun instead of his Taser, winters in Vero Beach and has a history of volunteering with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Bates, 73, spends time in a home he owns in Grand Harbor with his wife, Charlotte, when not living in the Tulsa area.
Earlier this month, Bates, a wealthy white man serving as a pro bono reserve deputy, had shot fleeing African-American suspect Eric Harris, 43, in the back, killing him. Bates said that he thought he was firing his Taser instead of his firearm. He now faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter.
In 2000, Bates established a vacation home in Vero Beach and joined the Citizens Aid Patrol, volunteering with the Marine Unit.
His work consisted of aiding boats in need of rescue and towing, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.