White officer tells his story in black man’s shooting death

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Randall Kerrick testifies during his voluntary manslaughter trial, Thursday, August 13, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. Kerrick charged in the shooting death of an unarmed…

“No matter what I did, he wouldn’t stop”, he said on the stand. He said, “When I was in my vehicle coming down the road I could see him”.

“The first rounds that I fired, I thought I fired four to six rounds”. Kerrick claimed he continue to shoot because Ferrell was still going after his gun.

The officer, 29-year-old Randall Kerrick, moreover asserted he had turned off his dashboard camera, in apparent violation of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department rules.

Ferrell had been involved in a auto accident and had gone to a house, apparently to search for help. She called 911.

Legal experts say having Kerrick take the stand was a risky move, but a necessary one. Ferrell ran – at Kerrick.

It has been reported that a white police officer, accused of firing his service weapon at an unarmed black man approximately two years ago, is once again appearing to tell regarding the details of the events that occurred in the shoot. It was a tense day of testimony in which prosecutors tried to paint Kerrick as someone who can’t be trusted. Kerrick was the only officer who fired his gun.

Prosecutors say Kerrick used excessive force.

But even then Ferrell wouldn’t let up.

Kerrick described Ferrell’s pace as a fast walk. He says Kerrick testifying is the lynchpin of this case.

“He was going to assault me”, he said.

Kerrick said he backpedaled about 20 feet, but Ferrell kept approaching. “He estimated Ferrell was over 5’9” and weighed about 200 lbs. Ferrell was struck by 10 of 12 shots fired by Kerrick, whose attorneys argue that he was acting in self-defense. Both men landed in a ditch.

As Ferrell continued advancing on him, Kerrick said he backpedaled about 20 feet. But Kerrick testified Thursday that Ferrell’s shoulders were at his waist, which would have put the dead man’s head at Kerrick’s abdomen or chest and within reach of the officer’s gun.

Kerrick was called to the stand around around 3 p.m.

“Was the suspect ever still?” He apologized. He said it all happened within seven seconds. He explained how his mom died when he was 4 years old, and that his father is disabled so he started working when he was 15 to support the family. “He’s still living. He’s still breathing”.

George Laughrun and Michael J. Greene will represent Kerrick.

Police later discovered a wrecked auto that Ferrell was driving about 500 yards away. He said he told Ferrell to stop as he approached. He said Ferrell yelled twice at the cops to shoot him. At times Little struggled to answer Harris’ questions.

Not on the video, Little replied. Dash cam video from a third officer’s cruiser showed Ferrell walking casually toward the officers, then suddenly running after Little pointed a Taser at Ferrell. I didn’t have time to think about that’.