Relatives of Jonathan Ferrell, the man shot in 2013 by white Charlotte-Meckleburg police officer Randall Kerrick, is calling for another trial after Kerrick’s voluntary manslaughter trial ended Friday with a deadlocked jury. He also said that a night of mistake after mistake led to Ferrell’s death. He was one of three jurors interviewed Saturday, a day after a mistrial was declared.
Advertisement
“We have plenty of officers on foot, bikes, motorcycles and vehicles to handle anything we encounter”, he said. When the results were read, there were seven votes for acquittal, five for conviction.
They get in the street and throw rocks because they know everything else has been taken from them. He said he felt a jerk on his pistol. Video showed police officers formed a line across a street adjacent to the stadium.
Dawkins and other Ferrell supporters said they expected protests over the mistrial to remain nonviolent. Two officers with Kerrick didn’t fire their guns. “No one in his family will make eye contact with us”, said Willie.
Moses Wilson’s view was the converse. “10 shots”.
Kerrick’s attorneys contended Kerrick opened fire because he feared that Ferrell was going to attack him and take his gun.
Kerrick’s attorneys sought to demonize Ferrell, said Wilson – pointing out he’d had a few beers, smoked some marijuana before crashing his auto the night of the shooting and noting that he wasn’t able to stay in college.
But Wilson said that Ferrell held down a job and was invited to join his friends, showing he was a sociable man.
Chestnut said certain pieces of evidence were not presented and said he had concerns with some of the framing of the case, including the fact that the defense referred to Ferrell throughout as “the suspect”, when in fact he had just experienced a auto wreck and was not armed. “People should not be afraid to walk up to a police officer”.
Supporters of Kerrick and Ferrell treated each other quite amicably during the trial. “What did he do?” After wrecking his auto, he knocked on the door of a nearby house.
Defense witness Dave Cloutier, a former police officer and retired instructor for the North Carolina Justice Academy, testified that according to CMPD policy, Kerrick was justified in deploying his firearm. But Kerrick’s attorneys said the officer feared for his life when he shot and killed Ferrell while responding to a breaking-and-entering call. “It’s not like that”. He said Ferrell’s shoulders were at his waist.
The deadlock comes amid 12 months of heightened national debate over policing, race and deadly confrontations between officers and African-Americans. “Did the force rise up to the need?”
Jurors made no comments to reporters as they left.
“My question was not answered”, he said, “and that’s why I voted guilty”.
Adren Harris, the assistant state lawyer, wouldn’t say whether or not the state would re-try the case.
Advertisement
“Honestly, we have exhausted every possibility”, the foreman said after Ervin asked a second time Friday.
