by DIANA RUGG / NBC CHARLOTTE
WCNC.com
Posted on September 14, 2013 at 11:22 AM
Updated Sunday, Sep 15 at 11:49 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer is
charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting an unarmed man in an eastern
Mecklenburg County neighborhood early Saturday morning.
Officer Randall Kerrick was served with a warrant around
8:20 p.m., said CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe. He was booked into the
Mecklenburg County Jail under a $50,000 bond.
A statement from police said Kerrick used "excessive
force" when he shot Jonathan Ferrell, 24, of Charlotte, multiple times.
Earlier, police said Ferrell had wrecked his car on Reedy
Creek Road and run to a house in nearby Bradfield Farms for help.
Police said Ferrell had knocked on the door and the woman
who lived in the home opened the door, thinking it was her husband returning
from work, then closed it quickly when she realized it wasn't.
She then called 911 to report a man was trying to break into
her home.
Officer Kerrick, along with two other officers, responded
and encountered Ferrell about a block from the home.
The statement from police said the initial encounter was
"appropriate and lawful," but that Ferrell "did advance" on
officer Kerrick before Kerrick shot him. Police did not detail whether
words were exchanged, and public information officer Capt. Brian Cunningham
said the case is still under investigation.
The statement said Officer Kerrick "did not have a
lawful right to discharge his weapon" at Ferrell.
According to CMPD, "voluntary manslaughter" is
defined under North Carolina law as "when a person is killed by another
human being without malice."
The law says voluntary manslaughter is "committed in
the exercise of imperfect self defense" when someone uses excessive force,
but without "murderous intent."
"I believe that the investigation throughout the day,
following the facts and evidence as it presented itself, led to this
conclusion," said Chief Rodney Monroe when he announced the charges late
Saturday night.
Monroe said his heart goes out to Ferrell's family.
"This is never something easy to deal with," said
Monroe. "Never something easy for us to really quite grasp, but we're
gonna rise from this as we've risen from other things, knowing we've done the
right thing."
Two officers who were with Kerrick at the time of the
shooting are on paid administrative leave, which is a standard procedure in
shootings involving police officers.
Ferrell's friends posted their condolences on Twitter and
Instagram Saturday, noting that Ferrell was a talented football player at Florida
A&M University, and before that, had led the FAMU High School team to a
state championship in 2006.
Here is someone who we think should be highly trained in the use of a firearm. Someone who could keep his cool and make a good decision. What it doesn't say in the article (it says multiple times) is the officer shot Ferrell 10 times. 10 Times!
ReplyDeleteI spent part of my life as a police officer. I was put into a situation to have to draw my firearm during a domestic violence incident involving a woman and her son. I had gone into the house and heard the subject loading his shotgun in the bedroom. I went back outside and radioed for backup. The subject came out of the house and fired his weapon into the air. I drew my service piece believing the next shot would be headed my way. But as I aimed to fire the subjects mother jumped between us and said no no don't kill my son. I had the piece of mind to lower my weapon and seek cover until help arrived. we were able to apprehend the subject and no one got shot no one got hurt and everyone was alive. Those are the decisions cops have to make and in this case the officer made a very bad one.
CC permits another joke. If a highly trained officer in Charlotte cannot refrain from shooting an unarmed man then what would make us think that the common civilian who might go to the range 3 or 4 times a year is our shining knight. No way. I had an acquaintance ( he actually delivers our linen at the restaurant) who just completed conceal carry training. there were 11 in his class. I asked him how many got the permit and he replied 11. I ask him how many of those would you trust to stand with you in a situation and be able to handle the firearm with skill and sense. he replied 4. So the state of N.C. through this formality of CC Class has put 7 people on the street with the right to carry a concealed weapon that shouldn't have that right. When I ask him about these 7 they were excitable, couldn't hit a target with a shot, one could not even load the damn thing without the instructors help. As of Oct 1st CC will be allowed across the state of NC including bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. We can deny entrance with a sign outside stating such. We have customers who have said that unless the sign goes up they will not be back. Well the sign is there and no guns allowed. Too many people get this CC right that don't need it. And these are the kinds of people that some think would end the mass shootings. Doubt it.
In a gun free zone, you as the "manager" will be the first victim. Good luck.
DeleteI as the manager am the first target and the first hostage with or with out guns. Who's gonna change that sitting there with a gun? You? Doubt it. Or maybe I'll get lucky and the individual who couldn't load a gun without the instructors help, but still has a CC permit will be held hostage with me. Hey I could load his gun and then we'd be going places wouldn't we.
ReplyDeleteHey.......About that Avatar !
Deleterick.......Just because this police officer went through his training,why should we assume that he learned his lessons.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite obvious he did not. He is not alone there are many stories of trigger happy cops.
What I don't understand is how you can equate this problem with CC permit holders.
It is only reasonable to believe that most CC holders are going to be responsible as are most police.
It's the criminals with guns that bother me.Many of these just don't give a dam.
Why Because the CC permit process is a mere formality. Why is it reasonable to assume these people would act any more responsible then a police officer. Quite frankly I believe that those who would actually pack a piece just for the sake of packing are the same who show their ass in many situations, the ones who flip you the bird for going to slow in front of them etc. They already act pretty much like idiots and an idiot with a gun is not a pretty thought.
ReplyDeleteMight be a mere formality in your state Rick but I can tell you that when the cc permit was allowed in Texas my father applied and was initially rejected because he had spent a night in an El Paso jail on an assault charge. The charge was eventually dismissed because he was the one actually assaulted but the fact that he had spent one night in jail 50 years earlier was enough to stop his application. It took him almost 2 years and communications with the governor to get the decision turned around. That was on top of the classes and proficiency tests. Law enforcement attracts a lot of power obsessed personalities who have no business pointing the business end of a weapon at anyone..... unfortunately they are the ones who rise to the top and militarized their departments... I would have trusted my father in a tense situation but I am not so sure about some police officers that I have encountered..
DeleteAmerica has become a very violent place. People with guns and a bad temper or tendency to fear even their own shadow has resulted in one shooting after another. This story just goes to show that even a desperate person, one who may be injured, is at risk if the situation is odd. Moral of the story: Stay in your car and die peacefully. USSNJ
ReplyDelete