Jury selection is expected to begin today in the trial of a white Charlotte police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed black man who was looking for help.
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Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of ex-FAMU football player Jonathan Ferrell. If convicted, Kerrick, 28, faces up to 11 years in prison.
Rodney Moore, who was the Police Chief at the time of the incident, said Kerrick used excessive force and his arrest was warranted.
Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin granted the motion but removed several lines from the form that could make identifying prospective jurors easier. Charlotte Observer attorney Jon Buchan had filed that motion.
Shaun Corbett said watching television coverage of the reaction to a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer in the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson convinced him to do something to prevent violence in Charlotte. The other two officers involved in the case, who are black and were more experienced than Kerrick, did not draw their weapons. In the past few months, several high-profile cases have fueled the issue.
Charlotte, NC (WCNC) The trial for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Kerrick officially started Monday.
Ferrell, seeking assistance, was knocking on the front door of residence, and a surprised young woman, fearing a home invasion, called 911.
Prosecutors say Kerrick fired 12 shots, 10 of which hit Ferrell.
Ferrell had been in a vehicle accident and staggered to a nearby house for help. Ferrell, who had no criminal record, died at the scene.
“I am standing here speaking for my son”, Ferrell’s mother said.
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Chris Chestnut, a lawyer for the Ferrell family, said Monday that the defense would try to paint Ferrell as a thug. In May, the city of Charlotte agreed to pay Ferrell’s family $2.25 million in a civil settlement.
