A grand jury has decided not to indict a a cop who fatally shot a young black man who was seeking help after crashing his car in North Carolina last year.
In September, 28-year-old Randall Kerrick shot 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell in Charlotte, N.C. Ferrell, a former member of the Florida A&M University football team, had crashed his car and limped to a nearby home for help. After seeing Ferrell running towards him, Kerrick discharged his weapon 12 times, striking Ferrell 10 times.
According to NBC News, grand jurors in Mecklenburg County decided that there was not enough evidence to indict Kerrick for voluntary manslaughter and requested that state attorney general's file the case again with lesser charges. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department called Kerrick's actions excessive, ultimately supporting the most serious charge against him.
Ferrell's family has filed a wrongful-death suit, citing that an autopsy proved the downward trajectory of his bullet wounds proved he was already on his knees or the ground when Kerrick opened fire. Kerrick has been on paid leave since the incident and could've faced anywhere from three to 11 years behind bars if convicted of manslaughter.
[via NBC News]
