Officer Adam Neal confirmed on cross-examination that he told investigators in 2013 Jonathan Ferrell was “clawing” with his hands at Randall “Wes” Kerrick.
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Jonathan Ferrell’s fiancee, Caché Heidel, left and Ferrell’s mother, Georgia, leave the courtroom before graphic evidence is shown at the trial of police officer Randall Kerrick, Wednesday, August 5, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. Kerrick is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Jonathan Ferrell, who was killed early on the morning of September 14, 2013, while seeking help after a vehicle crash. The critical portion lasted about five seconds.
He testified that after the first round of shots, he saw Kerrick sitting up in the ditch with Ferrell on top of his lower legs.
Neal testified that Ferrell looked like he was “amped up” and was in a “zombie state” just before Kerrick pulled out his gun. One officer steps in front of him and then jumps to the right side as Ferrell continues running forward and out of the camera’s view. Four shots are fired, then a pause and eight more shots are heard as someone keeps yelling to for Ferrell to get on the ground.
The audio recording was captured by Neal’s uniform microphone.
He was indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter previous year.
The officers came to the neighborhood after a woman called 911 and reported a man tried to knock down her door. Authorities said the officers did not identify themselves and Neal’s video appears to confirm that.
Neal testified he didn’t pull his gun, Taser or baton because he planned to wrestle the 24-year-old former Florida A&M football player to take him into custody. Kerrick and two other officers responded, and the deadly confrontation ensued.
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In the video, shouts and shots are heard, but the moment of the shooting isn’t shown and Ferrell does not appear to raise his arms. Ten of those 12 bullets hit the unarmed 24-year-old, killing him instantly, Chestnut said.
Police later discovered a wrecked vehicle that Ferrell was driving about 500 yards away.
Kerrick’s defense attorneys have a far different story, saying that Ferrell never requested help when he banged on and kicked McCartney’s door, and when McCartney’s house alarm went off, Ferrell said, “Turn off the alarm!”
Kerrick turned himself the day of the shooting and was released the following day on $50,000 bond. He was a former scholarship football player for Florida A&M University.
But toxicology reports showed Mr Ferrell’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.06 percent as the result of two beers before the incident, and he tested negative for cannabis.
The Ferrell family filed a civil suit against the city, county, CMPD and former Police Chief Rodney Monroe on January 14, 2014.
George Laughrun and Michael J. Greene will represent Kerrick.
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The Associated Press contributed to this article.
