North Carolina police officer: fatal shooting was unavoidable

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 black man has testified in his own defense Thursday, following witnesses who quoted him as saying he thought his life was in danger. He became emotional when he explained he found out his wife was pregnant four days after he shot Jonathan Ferrell.

Prosecuting Attorney Teresa Postell pressed Randall Kerrick about earlier testimony in which he said Jonathan Ferrell was 3-5 feet away when shooting began. He said so when he returned to the witness stand on Thursday in his voluntary murder trial.

He could have gotten to my weapon and taken it from me….

The last time Randall Wes Kerrick used his lights and siren on September 14th, 2013 his dash cam was rolling on the way to Reedy Creek Road.

Kerrick said given the speed of events that night, it was hard to estimate.

Ferrell was killed a little less than a year before an unarmed black man in New York and an unarmed 18-year-old black male in Ferguson, Missouri, died in separate violent encounters with police – cases that shined a national spotlight on how police treat minorities and sparked calls for widespread reforms. “I’m sorry if there’s a few inconsistencies”, Kerrick said. On Thursday, Kerrick struggled to maintain his calm when he was asked regarding what exactly happened on the night when he shot Jonathan Ferrell, killing him.

As Ferrell continued advancing on him, Kerrick said he backpedaled about 20 feet.

“What did you believe at that time?” his lawyer asked.

When an alarmed resident called 911, reporting that a unusual man was outside her door and that she feared he was trying to break in, police officers including Kerrick responded. Kerrick, who joined the police force in April 2011, later turned himself in.

“He just ran through a taser, which at the time at the time, I thought worked”, Kerrick said, “I absolutely had no idea if he had a weapon on him or not”. Kerrick was one of three officers to rush to the scene.

“Did you hear him say, “Shoot me, shoot me”?”

“If he was honest with all that crying, he would have apologized a long time ago”, Ferrell said after court ended.

During the taped police interview, Kerrick said “when he got withing I’d say 10 feet of me I fired”. A CMPD use of force expert, however, testified Wednesday that was not department policy. The only opinion that truly matters is the jury’s opinion.