Grand Jury Indicts North Carolina Officer Who Shot an Unarmed Motorist 10 Times

Texas A&M

Last week North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper failed to obtain an indictment of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Kerrick, who killed an unarmed man in a September 14 encounter during which he fired 12 rounds at close range. Yesterday Cooper, who is handling the case because the local district attorney used to work with Kerrick's lawyers, tried again and succeeded, convincing at least 12 grand jurors that Kerrick should be charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of former Florida A&M football star Jonathan Ferrell, who was hit by 10 rounds as he approached Kerrick and two other officers, apparently seeking help after crashing his car. This time four more grand jurors (18 rather than 14) heard the evidence against Kerrick, which included testimony by four witnesses instead of two. They may also have watched the 15-second video of the early-morning shooting that convinced Police Chief Rodney Monroe to charge Ferrell later that same day:

What they saw, according to people who have seen the video, was a 24-year-old man who was approaching officers with his hands outstretched. In the confusion, it is difficult to discern whether the bullets or commands from the officers came first. Either way, according to one lawyer who has seen the video, there was little time for Mr. Ferrell to respond.

"In some of these cases of excessive force you can say, 'Yeah, but he shouldn't have been there in the first place' or 'He was doing something he shouldn't have,'" said Charles Monnett, a lawyer in Charlotte, who is representing the family. "There is no 'but' in this case. It's just a tragic case."

Kerrick and the other officers were responding to a report from a woman who mistook Ferrrell for a burglar when he knocked on her door in the middle of the night seeking help. Kerrick says Ferrell continued to approach after he was repeatedly ordered to stop, leading Kerrick to believe the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious injury.

Comments

[Number 7]

Well, he shouldn't have let his car break down there. He had no business being out there late at night where a cop would be afraid of him.

[Sevo]

Yeah, and he shouldn't have stayed black while he was trying to get information!

[Hugh Akston]

Finally a pig gets turned into a ham sandwich.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Good.

[Jesus H. Christ]

Because a tazer could not have been used? I mean, yes the tazer is abused but it's generally less lethal than 10 rounds of 9mm.

[neoteny]

Various news items say a Taser was used but it "didn't work".

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

"Kerrick says Ferrell continued to approach after he was repeatedly ordered to stop, leading Kerrick to believe the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious injury."

Yep, moving toward = planning to kill, at least in the minds of these pigs.

[BuSab Agent]

Because no one in his right mind would approach a cop...

[croaker]

These days it would be a wise idea to avoid cops at all costs.

[Dweebston]

PHH

Montreal, Canada 57 minutes ago

The police not only exercise power over us, they enjoy a strong sense of fraternity that helps to isolate them from the community and define themselves as opposed to it. A situation where race is involved only exacerbates that definition. While there are diverse avenues to pursue to remedy police abuse, greater disarming of our public by stricter gun control (and teaching common sense about it) and even a relative disarming of the police should be on the agenda for discussion. Except for the gun fanatics, who define gun ownership as a "god given" right above the right to life, most of us are sick of hearing about the senseless slaughter in our society.

Cop shoots unarmed civilian, gun ownership is still a contributing factor. And he started out so well: fraternity shielding police from culpability, cops tend to exacerbate rather than mitigate race tension, and even (shocker) disarming police. Except for the lumpy gravy about further gun controls, he could be posting here.

[Redmanfms]

While there are diverse avenues to pursue to remedy police abuse, greater disarming of our public by stricter gun control (and teaching common sense about it)

I cannot fathom the depth of stupid it takes to genuinely believe that disarming the citizenry makes them less likely to be victimized. It's like all of recorded history in which well-armed minorities subjected poorly-armed peasant majorities to serfdom just didn't fucking happen.

and even a relative disarming of the police should be on the agenda for discussion.

Yeah, uh huh. The citizens just have to trust that the king's men will give up their weapons after they've already surrendered their own.

And what exactly constitutes "relative" disarming???

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

Kerrick says Ferrell continued to approach after he was repeatedly ordered to stop, leading Kerrick to believe the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious injury.

Does that standard work for shootings by "civilians" who are approached by unarmed persons with hands outstretched while standing with 2 of their armed pals?

[mnarayan]

Who are you and what have you done with Tulpa?

[pogi]

This is what you get when you empower, and then shield from any consequence, psychopathic pussies with deadly weapons. This shithead should have been charged with murder, the lesser charge is simply an insult.

[RishJoMo]

Rest assured its jsut a formality to calm the black folk down. The cop will never be found guilty of a crime.

http://www.Anon-Stuff.tk

[Holy Moley]

Very sad, take it from an old flatfoot that we used to fight more with tough talk or our night stick and fists then to use our revolvers. The New Centurions these days rely on tazers and stun guns and less talk and to quick to draw that weapon. I know from personal experience that at LAPD, if you were to Pro-Citizen, you were run out of the force.

I never took a free cup of coffee or food and wished someone would offer me a bribe so I could take their butt to the slammer, but it never happened in 30 years. There are a few bad eggs (cops) but very few. I figure that if one percent are corrupt with an agency like NYPD with over 34,000 officers, that's alot to deal with. Remember, it only takes a few to make a bad name for all. And one "Ah-Shit" cancels out ten "At-A-Boys"!!!