text: The family of a man shot dead by a reserve deputy who confused his weapon for his Taser has slammed the gunman's decision to take a month-long vacation to the Bahamas while out on bond. Robert Bates, 73, appeared in Tulsa district court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of Eric Harris, who was killed during a botched sting on April 2. Despite the charges, the judge said that the retired insurance executive, who is out on $25,000 bond, is allowed to take a previously planned vacation to the Bahamas, NBC reported. Harris' family reacted to the decision in a statement released by their lawyer. Heading to court: Robert Bates, left, is seen walking to court on Tuesday morning with his attorney Corbin Brewster, right, before he entered his not-guilty plea in the death of Eric Harris earlier this month . 'Mistake': The 73-year-old reserve deputy claims he mistakenly pulled out his gun instead of his Taser and shot dead the man as he fled the scene of an undercover operation on April 2 . 'Whether intended or not, Mr. Bates' vacationing in the Bahamas at this time sends a message of apathy with respect to the shooting and Eric's life,' they said. 'At a time when we are still mourning the death of a loved one that he shot down in the street, Mr. Bates will be relaxing and enjoying his wealth and privilege.' It is not clear when he is leaving for the holiday but Bates will next appear in court on July 2. Bates has previously visited the Bahamas with the sheriff, Stanley Glanz, and another reserve deputy and paid for part of Glanz's trip. Bates, a Tulsa County volunteer, shot Harris, 44, after the man was confronted during an undercover gun-sale operation and ran past him. Video of the incident shows Bates chasing after Harris. In an attempt to subdue him, Bates went to grab his Taser, but was unaware he had actually pulled out his gun instead. In the video, which was released by the sheriff's office, Bates can be heard shouting 'Taser! Taser!' When the gunshot goes off, he says: 'I shot him! I'm sorry.' The fatally-wounded man can be heard saying: 'Oh my god, he shot me! He shot me! He shot me, man' before adding: 'Oh, my god. I'm losing my breath!' In separate news conferences on Monday, the county sheriff and lawyers for Harris' family disagreed on whether the reserve officer should have been allowed to conduct police work. Sheriff Stanley Glanz said Bates, his longtime insurance agent and former campaign manager, had been properly trained and passed annual firearms certifications required by the state. Charged: Bates (left in his mug shot) shot Harris (pictured right) and faces four years in prison if convicted . Shooting: This photo shows a deputy bending down to pick up Bates's dropped gun following the accidental shooting in Tulsa earlier this month. Harris is being held down on the ground, out of shot, by other deputies . Terrified: The fatally-wounded man, who is being held by his neck and back by the deputies (pictured), says: 'Oh my god, he shot me! He shot me! He shot me, man.' He then adds: 'Oh, my god. I'm losing my breath' Dan Smolen, a lawyer for Harris' family, said the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office violated a number of its internal policies by letting Bates carry his personal handgun after training with another weapon. Smolen also said the department failed to keep a permanent record of Bates' training, in violation of local policies. Records Bates released during the weekend showed that the volunteer officer was trained on a .45, not the weapon used in Harris' death. Bates, who sold his insurance business for $6 million in 1999, was trained to be a Tulsa Police Department patrolman in 1964 but left in 1965. He was out of law enforcement for 35 years, returning for volunteer work in Florida in 2000 before joining the Tulsa County force in 2008 and making a number of donations to the agency. He also was Glanz' campaign manager during the 2012 election. During an appearance on the Today show last week, he apologized to Harris' family. Anger: Harris' son Aidan Fraley (pictured right with his uncle Andre Harris a week after his father's death), has said  the  police officers who allowed Bates to become a cop should be held accountable for his death . Confusion: An image shows a Taser and a handgun similar to the weapons Bates was carrying. He mistakenly thought he was holding a Taser, not his handgun, when he fatally shot Eric Harris . 'First and foremost let me apologize to the family of Eric Harris,' he said. 'I rate this as number one on my list of things in my life that I regret... I still can't believe it happened.' He also insisted that, despite keeping his gun and Taser on different parts of his uniform, it was easy to confuse the two. 'This has happened a number of times around the country, I have read about it in the past,' Bates said. '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.' Harris' son responded by saying that the volunteer deputy was too old to be on the police force. 'He should have been in a retirement home, not out there on the scene killing my dad,' Aidan Fraley said, NBC reported.
target: Tulsa reserve deputy Robert Bates was silent as he appeared in court in Tulsa on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to 2nd-degree manslaughter .
  Despite the charges, the judge told the millionaire retiree that he is allowed to take a previously planned vacation to the Bahamas .
  Bates has said he mistakenly pulled out his gun instead of his Taser when he shot Eric Harris, who was fleeing from a sting operation on April 2 .
  On Tuesday, Harris' family said that while they continue to mourn the loss of their loved one, Bates will be enjoying his 'wealth and privilege' abroad .