Officer testifies about shooting of unarmed black man

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.

Defiant, sometimes choking back tears, a Charlotte police officer testified Friday he had no choice but to shoot an unarmed vehicle crash victim on a darkened road, despite never seeing anything in the man’s hands.

Toward the end of questioning, Postell took two photos to the witness stand. One showed Kerrick displaying injuries to his mouth where he said Ferrell struck him (A later witness said the injury was consistent with a punch or a bitten lip). As Ferrell began approaching, Kerrick backed up and yelled commands for him to stop and to get on the ground.

Kerrick’s defense lawyer, arguing the shooting was justified, has said Ferrell’s DNA was discovered on the officer’s gun and beneath his fingernails.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer, “He was going to attack me”.

“He was going to assault me”.

“He had a good chance to get my gun from me, ” said the officer, Randall Kerrick, who hit the man 10 times.

He was charged with voluntary manslaughter after police called the shooting “excessive” and said that Kerrick “did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon”.

Kerrick was slammed with questions regarding inconsistencies with his testimony and what he said during his first interview.

“When we encountered the suspect, he charged towards officer Little”, Kerrick said.

Kerrick, the only officer to open fire, shot at Ferrell 12 times.

And that could make the jury believe his story.

Friday Kerrick will be back on the stand. The jury last saw Kerrick pointing to photos of mud on his uniform and his injuries to his lip and arm.

Kerrick said he shouted at Ferrell to get on the ground. Reporter: Authorities say he had been dripging that night, but not heavily.

Randall Wes Kerrick can be emotional, like when he talked about learning his wife was pregnant days after the shooting.

Some of the testimony prior to Kerrick’s appearance focused on training and whether his use of deadly force was necessary. In the defense’s opening statement, attorneys said they’ll show that Ferrell’s DNA was on the weapon, and that Kerrick’s DNA was on Ferrell’s fingernails. He fumbled some details, contradicted himself on several facts and appeared to have difficulty recounting the events.

“If 3 to 5 feet was the truth, did you think it was important to tell (detectives)?”

“Did you hear him say, “Shoot me, shoot me”?” I wasn’t sure how many rounds I had fired none of them affected him in any way.

“Yes ma’am, it happened so fast”, he answered.

Harris replayed the video, once, twice, stopping it at various points to ask Little if he still thought he didn’t have time to say something as Ferrell approached.

“You did not pull out your baton?”