CHARLOTTE, NC – A grand jury indicted a Charlotte police officer last week after the officer gunned down an unarmed former Florida A&M football player looking for help after getting into a car accident nearby.
According to investigators, officer Randall Kerrick, along with two other officers, were dispatched to respond to a disturbance after a resident called the police when Jonathan Ferrell came up to his house seeking help. Kerrick fired his gun at Jonathan Ferrell twelve times, hitting him ten times. Neither of the other officers fired a shot. [contextly_auto_sidebar id=”jTyUy4lBHwo96lJUJ4ISacQVciaOKN7y”]
Ferrell was unarmed and has no criminal record.
Kerrick has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, and, if convicted, faces a prison sentence of up to 11 years. A judge recently denied the plaintiff’s lawyer’s request for a gag order on the case.
Ferrell’s family is suing both the officer and the police chief, who the family alleges failed to ensure that his officers were appropriately trained on the use of force.
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