Trial Begins in Fatal North Carolina Police Shooting

A North Carolina police officer went on trial Monday in the shooting death of an unarmed black man who was just looking for help after an accident.

Kerrick has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013. He was later indicted for voluntary manslaughter, which carries a prison sentence of up to 11 years. While prosecutors say it was obvious Ferrell was not armed, Kerrick’s defense attorneys say that wasn’t clear. The judge hearing the case, Robert Ervin, twice denied defense attorneys’ change of venue motions, saying a jury pool in a neighboring county would be as likely to have seen pretrial news coverage as one in Charlotte.

The homeowner thought he was a robber and called 911. Kerrick joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 2011, after working as an animal control officer.

Three officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police answered the call and as they were being approached by Ferrell, officer Randall Kerrick fired 12 shots, 10 of which struck Ferrell, killing him.

Kerrick was in court Monday as his attorneys and prosecutors worked out some details. The other two officers, who are black, did not draw their weapons. Ferrell, who had no criminal record, died at the scene.

14, 2013 and sought help by knocking on doors in a nearby community.

George Laughrun, one of Kerrick’s attorneys, said the testimony will show Ferrell had been smoking marijuana and drinking before the crash and that when he approached another officer he shouted, “Shoot me”.

NewsOne Now panelist Avis Jones DeWeever said there is absolutely “no excuse” for the shooting of Ferrell: “This needs to be a guilty verdict”. Two months ago, Charlotte agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle the lawsuit.