e outside. >> tomorrow looks amazing. for sheena and all of us here the news continues here now with "nbc nightly news." have a good night. on this friday night, nbc news exclusive. the reserve deputy charged with manslaughter speaking about what he says was a deadly mistake. how he managed to grab his gun instead of traceraser and kill a man. why the mom and dad are urging prosecutors to spare the life of their son's killer. the sinking town in california where the land is literally dropping as fast as a foot every year as water and jobs run dry. and remote control. the provider that wants to make

it easier for consumers. nightly news begins now. this is nbc nightly news reporting tonight, from los angeles, lester holt. good evening. the volunteer oklahoma reserve deputy who mistook his gun for taser and accidently killed a suspect is speaking out, apologizing to the family of the man he killed and telling what happened. he spoke to our matt lauer this morning to explain how he could have made such a critical error. >> would you do me a favor? would you stand up for me for one second and show me where on your body when you are in your uniform, you keep your taser and where you keep your weapon your revolver can you stand up and show me? >> sure you bet. my taser is right here on the front, tucked in a protective vest my gun itself is on my side.

normally to the rear. >> and people are going to look at that mr. bates and say how could you make this mistake? how could you think you would going for your taser on your chest, tucked into that vest and accidently pull your weapon? >> well let me say this has happened a number of times around the country. i have read about it in the past. i thought to myself after reading several cases, i don't understand how this can happen. you must believe me it can happen to anyone. >> you yelled taser, taser. you mentioned the other deputy ducked and cleared so you could use your taser, and then you heard that gunshot. what were you thinking when you heard the shot? >> oh, my god, what has happened? the laser light is the same on each weapon. i saw the light, and i squeezed the trigger and then realized i dropped the gun. this was not an intentional thing. i have no desire to ever take

anyone's life. >> that interview this morning. tonight the victim's family is reacting to bate's explanation while questions continue to pop up about his training and qualifications to be on the job. nbc's gabe gutierrez with that story. >> reporter: today tulsa county reserve deputy robert gates apologized to the family of the man he shot and killed. >> first and foremost let me apologize to the family of eric harris. i rate this as number one on my list of things in my life that i regret. >> reporter: on april 2nd, the 73-year-old insurance broker was acting as backup as they chased a suspect. he meant to pull his taser, but instead fired his gun, killing harris. >> this was not an intentional thing. i have no desire to ever take anyone's life. >> reporter: bate's attorneys

claim it's a phenomenon known as slip and capture. a person inadvertently performs one action while intending to do another. he represents the family. >> i don't think it could happen to anyone particularly with the type of advanced training that the sheriff's office has stated that he had. >> reporter: a record shows bates had almost 300 hours of training since 2008. but the sheriff acknowledged in a radio interview this week his office had not been able to find all of bates' gun certification records, since the gininstructor no longer works there. >> we can't find the records that she supposedly turned in. >> reporter: bates denied reports that supervisors were forced to falsify some of his training records. today a spokesman pour the sheriff's office says he believes the training records are true and correct. >> law enforcement that is

ingrained in them -- >> reporter: bates' family describes him as a grandfather of six who survived cancer and donated nows of dollars of equipment to the sheriff's office. >> he made his living working hard. he wants to give back to help people. is that wrong? >> reporter: the family of eric harris just released a statement saying while they appreciate bates' apology it will not bring eric back. we remain vigilant in seeking the whole truth they say. bates is to be arraigned next week and intending to plead not guilty. there is breaking news in california. a massive gas line explosion in fresno. there are injuries. local local officials say they are expecting five to eight patients specifically burns.

the local highway is closed down and the explosion may have occurred on or near a sheriff's office near a firing range. flames shooting 100 feet into the air. isis is claiming responsibility tonight for a deadly attack targeting the u.s. consulate inner erbil, iraq. >> reporter: the streets and caves in this erbil neighborhood were crowded when around 6:00 a car bomb exploded in front of the oust consulate. the blast echoed throughout the city. the bomb went off outside the gate. but there were three cafes nearby. and one seems to have taken the brunt of it. a kurdish medical official told

nbc news at least two people were killed. eight injured, including an american elementary schoolteacher being treated tonight for burns. her condition apparently not life threatening. er bill is considered a safe area which is pro-american but can no longer insulate itself from the horrendous violence all around it. politics tonight in a major event bringing together near every republican running or thinking about running to be the next president of the united states are all converging in new hampshire this weekend, and the pressure is on to stand out from the pack. nbc correspondent peter alexander is there. >> reporter: they say politics ain't beanbag, but chris christie put that to the test trying out this beanbag chair.

just one of the ways these prospects are looking to connect with granite state voters. jeb bush scarfing blueberry pie. >> hell with the diet. >> reporter: with more than a dozen would-be candidates here this weekend, there's one thing they all agree on. they're against hillary clinton, and they each think they can beat her. >> my style with hillary's? listen we're different people of different generations. so you know we're going to approach things in different ways. >> we're not going to fix washington by electing a president who is from washington of washington or for that matter for washington. >> reporter: the latest in a long line of candidate cattle calls. these gatherings have the potential to propel a politician like an iowa event did for scott walker earlier this year. rand paul speaks tomorrow. the party's challenge to avoid the vicious primary fight that

led them to lose in the last two elections. jeb bush tried to down play any personal tension between him and the man he once mentored, marco rubio. >> he is a c friend. it is what it is. >> reporter: but the main thing is the ideological fight. >> i don't think we have an ideological problem. i honestly don't. i think we need to be focussed on laying out a compelling alternative to where we are today. >> reporter: bush may dismiss any ideologyical problem. tornado warnings are in effect in texas tonight after at least ten of them touched down in the state overnight. the spring weather turning so wild that in some parts of the country it doesn't look like spring at all. here's nbc's janet claimlien.

>> reporter: snow and flash flooding across the country today. an interstate shut down for several hours after a pileup involving two semis, a motor home and two buses. as snow and dense fog plan gettedget -- blanketed the area. another pileup caused chaos on i-80 in wyoming. in texas, it was tornados at least ten, including these. and in pampa. a glass wall came down one university but no one was hurt. nbc news houston. meantime in central california, the severe drought is causing entire towns to sink literally as much as a foot a

year in certain places as farmers drain groundwater aquifers. we visited one town that's losing ground in more ways than one. >> reporter: for the first time in 50 years, there are no cantelopes on tony's farm. >> this would have been cantelopes or garlic or onions or beans. >> reporter: the crops he does have get ground water. like his neighbors, he's strategic about what i pumps. >> we have all these straws in the ground and one cup that we're all pulling out of. >> reporter: that cup is getting emptier. the water level has dropped 80 feet. stratford is sinking in more ways than one. >> a third of our ranch is idle that's a third less we're spending in the community, the local auto parts store, tractor

dealership. >> reporter: businesses boarded up. no gas stations. no car fayfes. >> turning into a ghost town. >> reporter: you can get a cup of coffee at the auto parts store. >> water brings people. without water, you got nothing. >> reporter: no water means no money. here instead of paying people can promise to. these are ious. worth thousands of dollars. $7,000 outstanding, can you afford to put that money out? it's a price he pays to help his neighbors in need hoping his business will survive. and so will stratsford for the next generation. >> going to fight like hell. >> reporter: a town fighting to keep from sinking further.

stratford, california. in boston, the family of 8-year-old martin richard, the little boy killed in the marathon bombing two years ago has issue add emotional plea to federal prosecutors to drop their quest for the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> reporter: today the parents of martin richard called for an end to the anguish, an end to the government's pursuit of death for dzhokhar tsarnaev in exchange for life in prison without parole or appeals. the defendant murdered our son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter and stole part of our soul. we understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed. we were there. we lived it. we sat in the courtroom day after day, bearing witness to overwhelming evidence that included graphic video and photographs, replicated bombs and even the clothes our son

wore his last day alive. we know that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring numerous appeals and prolong living the most difficult day of our lives. the response was i care deeply about their views and the views of other victims and survivors. as the case moves forward we will continue to do all we can to protect and vindicate those injured. opinions are split on whether tsarnaev should die for his crimes. but they say we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours. we believe now is the time to turn the page end the anguish and look toward a better future for us for boston and pour the country. ron mott nbc news. there is still a lot more news ahead, including the price

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extraordinary resilience. here's national correspondent kate snow. >> we just had some kind of explosion downtown. >> reporter: it was an act so brutal so unexpected. and in those first moments 20 years ago, it was pure chaos. it wasn't just adults. >> you haven't seekn my daughter have you? >> reporter: there were children too. chris had a child himself and was handled this little girl and battle carried her in his arms. that photo became an iconic image. ? they knew a lot of people. it means a lot to them but it's different for me and my family. >> reporter: her daughter bailey would have turned 21 tomorrow and that's made this anniversary very difficult. but she does have two other children. >> i know she watches over the kids and takes care of them.

so that's couldn't ask much more from a big sister. >> reporter: of the 21 children this the building's day care only six made it out alive. p.j. suffered burns over half his body, and though he struggles to breathe, he's happy to be alive. >> i look at it as a blessing. what happened to me is what needed to happen to me to survive. >> i try to enjoy or appreciate the little things that i have because they're precious, and sometimes they can be taken away. >> reporter: joe is a zoology major. p.j. hoping to run a hotel some day. susan lost her sister and helped raise her nieces. >> someone came and tried to destroy oklahoma in the heartland, in our nation and we of oklahoma say no you can't do that to us. we're generous forward thinking we will help one another and go forward. and they have. >> reporter: kate snow nbc

news oklahoma city. the actual anniversary of the bombing is this sunday when a remembrance ceremony is planned. that will do it for us on this friday might. i'm lester holt, and for all of us at nbc news thank you for watching, and good-night. the first video of beverly hills housewife kim richards after her drunken arrest. what really triggered her melt down. >> kim, is it true you kicked a police officer? now on "extra." new video real tv housewife

kim richards facing the cameras after getting arrested. >> kim, are you drinking again? >> what she watched on tv that must have pushed her over the edge. the first look at the tow truck employee blasted bay espn reporter in that shocking gone viral video. >> i'm on television and you're a [ bleep ] trailer. >> hurling insult after insult. >> lose some weight baby girl. >> she issued an apology today. lady antebellum's first words about their tour bus exploding in flames. >> i believed in miracles before yesterday but even more so today. >> we're we're with the band right before sunday's acm awards. plus tracey's got sarah jessica parker with the new designer shoe line to make carrie bradshaw faint. >> ill dull intelligence. >> now on "extra" from universal studios hollywood the entertainment capital of l.a.