Shooting of Jonathan Ferrell
| Date | September 14, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Deaths | Jonathan Ferrell |
| Accused | Randall Kerrick |
| Charges | Voluntary manslaughter |
| Litigation | Ferrell's family filed a lawsuit against the City of Charlotte; settled with $2.25 million |
On September 14, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell, a former college football player for the Florida A&M University Rattlers, was shot and killed by police officer Randall Kerrick in Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Shooting
Ferrell was unarmed at the time he was shot.[2] He crashed his car, went to a house in the Bradfield Farms neighborhood and "banged on the door", apparently looking for help. The resident called police, and three officers came.[3][4][5] Ferrell then ran towards them, whereupon one of the officers fired a taser at Ferrell and missed.[1] Kerrick then opened fire on Ferrell, hitting him ten times and killing him.[1]
A toxicology test of Ferrell's blood showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.06, and had caffeine and nicotine in his system.[5]
Legal proceedings
The day following the shooting, Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter, and was released on $45,000 bail from jail. On January 21, 2014, a grand jury declined to indict Kerrick with voluntary manslaughter.[6] On January 27, a second grand jury did indict Kerrick on a voluntary manslaughter charge.[7] On May 14, 2015, the city of Charlotte settled a lawsuit with Ferrell's family for $2.25 million.[8] On August 21, 2015, a 26th District judge declared a mistrial in the case after the jury reached a deadlock, with eight jurors on one side and four on the other.[2] The Attorney General of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, said that the state would not re-try Kerrick.[3]
Reaction
On August 21, 2015, after the mistrial declaration, protesters took to the streets of Charlotte. Several areas of the city were shut down as a result, and two people were arrested.[9]
On October 2, 2015 Kerrick resigned from the police force.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 Katz, Jonathan M. (August 22, 2015). "Mistrial for Charlotte Police Officer in Death of Unarmed Black Man". New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- 1 2 Cooke, Christina (August 22, 2015). "Mistrial for officer and no justice for unarmed man: family vows to fight on". The Guardian. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Police officer accused in fatal shooting resigns from force". The Charlotte Observer. The Associated Press. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ↑ Reuters (August 21, 2015). "Mistrial for Police Officer Who Killed Unarmed Black Man in North Carolina". Newsweek. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- 1 2 Leland, Elizabeth (August 1, 2015). "The tragic path from a 911 call to a fatal confrontation". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ↑ Ford, Dana (January 21, 2014). "No indictment for Charlotte officer who shot Jonathan Ferrell". CNN. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ↑ McLaughlin, Eliott (27 January 2014). "2nd grand jury indicts officer in shooting of ex-FAMU football player". CNN. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ Gordon, Michael (May 14, 2015). "Charlotte settles with Jonathan Ferrell’s family for $2.25 million in police shooting". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Two arrested during Kerrick trial protests in Charlotte". WTVD. August 21, 2015.
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