73-year-old Robert Charles Bates, a reserve deputy, shot and killed a criminal during a sting operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bates was under the impression that he held a Taser, not a real gun.

Bates confirmed that he was the shooter in a phone interview with a local newspaper, the Tulsa World Reporter.

“It was me,” said Bates said. “My attorney has advised me not to comment. As much as I would like to, I can’t.”

Bates is only a part time member of County Sheriff’s Office. He works full time at a Tulsa-based insurance company.

Eric Courtney Harris, 44, was the man who was shot. A few weeks earlier, he had sold crystal meth to undercover investigators. Harris told the officers that he could get guns too if they wanted.

A sting operation ensued. Harris agreed to meet the undercover officer in a nearby parking lot to sell a 9mm semi-automatic gun plus the necessary ammunition. When Harris realized that he had been set up, he ran.

When Harris reached into his waistband, the police officers knocked him to the ground. The officers tried to handcuff Harris but the criminal was still struggling to withdraw something from his pants.

It was then that Bates drew his weapon and fired before realizing that he held a real gun as opposed to a stun gun. Harris died in the hospital a few hours later.

“He wasn’t giving his hands up freely, they were struggling trying to get him into custody. [Bates] ran up, he was trying to use a less lethal device, he was trying to get the situation under control, inadvertently he discharged a round from his service weapon,” said Shannon Clark of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in an interview with KTUL-TV.

Bates has been put on administrative leave while Harris’ death is being investigated. The Sheriff’s Office is looking in to a number of contributing factors to the incident, such as Bates’ age.

“Did an accident happen? Sure. But is it accredited to his age? Or was it accredited to the rapidly evolving situation? I guess that will be determined in the investigation,” said Clark.

Eric Harris has a long record of criminal felonies and misdemeanors including robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, forging documents, making threatening phone calls, and escaping a state petitionary.

“Our prayers go out to the family of the deceased, it goes out to the deputy that was involved in the situation, I mean no matter how you look at it its a tragic situation,” said Clark.