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http://news.yahoo.com/ferrell-kerrick-police-unarmed-shooting-charlotte-191520307.html

A North Carolina police officer was charged with voluntary manslaughter on Saturday after police say he fatally shot an unarmed man who had apparently just survived a car crash in Charlotte and was looking for help.

The victim, Jonathan Ferrell, a 24-year-old former Florida A&M University football player, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday morning.

The 27-year-old officer, Randall Kerrick, turned himself into police late Saturday. He was released on a $50,000 bond.

"The shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement. “Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter.”

According to police, Ferrell crashed his vehicle into the woods, climbed out of his car and walked a half-mile to the nearest house. He began “banging on the door viciously,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief Rodney Monroe said.

"It was quite possible he was seeking assistance based on his accident," Monroe said.

But the woman who answered the door thought Ferrell was a burglar and called police shortly after 2:30 a.m. to report an attempted break-in.

Kerrick and two other responding officers surrounded Ferrell, who “immediately charged” at the police, Monroe said. One officer tried unsuccessfully to subdue Ferrell with a taser. Kerrick then fired his weapon "several times."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/15/new-york-nypd-shooting/2815851/

NEW YORK (AP) — Two police officers opened fired on a man who was acting erratically and dodging cars on a busy Manhattan street Saturday night, wounding two bystanders and sending people running for cover, authorities said.

Police said the man made movements suggesting he had a weapon, though he turned out to be unarmed. The officers' shots missed him, and he was eventually brought down by a stun gun.

Jesus. I thought my day sucked.

That's who we call on when we are disarmed, are you serious.

!?!?!?

Welcome to the new and improved North Carolina

He got Artimus Pyle'd.

This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer? That doesn't add up. Three cops, one civilian. They can't subdue one guy without shooting him? Aren't these guys trained at a police academy to handle situations like this? Why resort to a gun when someone has a taser? Stuff like this, and all the stories that don't get headlines make me real nervous about the kind of people that want to be cops. Plus the fact that far too many cops shave their heads these days. Can't help but relate it to nazi skinheads. On the other side, knocking on anyone's door at 2 a.m. is not the smartest thing to do.

ncjay wrote: On the other side, knocking on anyone's door at 2 a.m. is not the smartest thing to do.

+1

My car broke down about 12-miles from home around 1am coming home from college one weekend(back in my "long-haired freaky people" days). Fortunately, I kept my Haro in the trunk, because there was no way I was going to knock on the door of some farmhouse at that time of night!

I only got chased by one really big dog on the way home...or at least it sounded really big - I never slowed down enough to find out.

Wally wrote: "The shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement.

REALLY? Are you sure?

ncjay wrote: This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer? That doesn't add up. Three cops, one civilian. They can't subdue one guy without shooting him? Aren't these guys trained at a police academy to handle situations like this? Why resort to a gun when someone has a taser? Stuff like this, and all the stories that don't get headlines make me real nervous about the kind of people that want to be cops. Plus the fact that far too many cops shave their heads these days. Can't help but relate it to nazi skinheads. On the other side, knocking on anyone's door at 2 a.m. is not the smartest thing to do.

Hopefully there will be some dash cams or some kind of video. I agree with your scepticism.

ncjay wrote: Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer? That doesn't add up.

OK kids, remember to yell "It's comin' right at us" before you shoot!

dinger wrote:

Wally wrote: "The shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement.

REALLY? Are you sure?

Round here, that's just how we say hello.

ncjay wrote: This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer?

Let's see, a 24-year-old ex-college-athlete wrecks his car in the woods in the middle of the night. Assume it's a 1-car accident, because he had to walk half a mile to get help.

The same substances that could have caused the accident could cause him to charge the cops. Pure conjecture on my part, but it's very possible there was intoxication involved.

Doesn't mean the cops acted correctly. Doesn't mean he deserved to die. But it is possible they didn't just shoot him out of hand because they're fascist dicks.

So the shootee was drunk or maybe high? That makes it worse from where I sit. 3 police officers with training, billy clubs, tasers, and guns can't subdue one drunk, unarmed, ex-football player?

Seriously. Cops these days seem to act like the process of engagement is:

1) Yell at the potentially violent person to stop whatever they are doing. 2) Taze them 3) Shoot them.

Lord help you if you are deaf/mute.

ncjay wrote: This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer? That doesn't add up. Three cops, one civilian. They can't subdue one guy without shooting him? Aren't these guys trained at a police academy to handle situations like this? Why resort to a gun when someone has a taser? Stuff like this, and all the stories that don't get headlines make me real nervous about the kind of people that want to be cops. Plus the fact that far too many cops shave their heads these days. Can't help but relate it to nazi skinheads. On the other side, knocking on anyone's door at 2 a.m. is not the smartest thing to do.

You also have to consider the possibility of head injury in a serious car wreck.

I know when I wrecked my motorcycle (knocked out and ended up with a nice concussion), after I awoke it took me a go 60 seconds to remove ONE GLOVE.........held on with Velcro.

The major issue is police forces around the nation continually resorting to the maximum show of force for basically any issue.

A family recently had their car impounded and watched an officer shoot an injured deer.......the family had wanted to take it to a vet. So of course the cop tickets, takes their car, and kills the animal instead.

Duke wrote:

ncjay wrote: This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer?

Let's see, a 24-year-old ex-college-athlete wrecks his car in the woods in the middle of the night. Assume it's a 1-car accident, because he had to walk half a mile to get help. The same substances that could have caused the accident could cause him to charge the cops. **Pure conjecture** on my part, but it's very possible there was intoxication involved. Doesn't mean the cops acted correctly. Doesn't mean he deserved to die. But it is possible they didn't just shoot him out of hand because they're fascist dicks.

Oh, let's say you're injured in a car accident in the wee hours, no one is responding to your plea for help at the nearest house, then police arrive and you move towards them to get help. I'll bet not a damn one was listening to the victim as he came toward them, too busy yelling at him to get on the ground. Now think about being in a car accident late at night and trying to get help from police officers. You may not immediately think you did any thing wrong or get why officers are telling you to get on the ground. You may just continue toward them asking for help (which they are NOT listening to amongst all their yelling (officers NEVER listen until the "perp" is subdued).

What might have happened to our accident victim if he HAD complied and got face down on the ground? He would have been forcibly cuffed and probably held down all the while injured from the car accident. And they wouldn't have listened to him anyway. We shoud NOT be living in a world where we shoud automatically "assume the position" every time we meet an officer, especialy if we are simply looking for help.

As has been said, cops are too determined to make a show of force than figure out what the hell they should actually be doing. Way too many stories like this. Which says that there are even vastly more UNTOLD stories just like it.

Chris_V wrote:

Duke wrote:

ncjay wrote: This story has me asking soo many questions. Why on earth would anyone who's just been in a car wreck "charge" a police officer?

Doesn't mean the cops acted correctly. Doesn't mean he deserved to die. But it is possible they didn't just shoot him out of hand because they're fascist dicks.

As has been said, cops are too determined to make a show of force than figure out what the hell they should actually be doing. Way too many stories like this. Which says that there are even vastly more UNTOLD stories just like it.

Don't forget, even "vastly more" stories where the cops show up, help somebody with a minimum of fuss, and then everybody goes on with their lives DON'T GET TOLD AT ALL, because they don't sell "news" and advertising space.

I'm still not saying the cops were right here. I'm just saying they aren't automatically triggerhappy stormtroopers just because somebody died. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. We don't have enough info to know.

And let me restate, the part about the victim being intoxicated is entirely an imaginary scenario on my part. I have no knowledge of his condition at all.

I read Wally's post... then all of the replies... then clicked on the link to the first article... I was really hoping the victim wasn't black and the officer white. I was hoping... It's just a bad situation all around... a large (ex-football player?) injured and delirious black man is banging on a door at 2am... the potential for that situation to turn out badly was high.

The article said alcohol did not appear to be a factor.

There really isn't enough information in this article to form any sort of theory about what really happened.

These stories always seem so obvious in hindsight. I'm guessing that the guy who got his face eaten on a bridge in FL probably would agree with the officers. Out of your mind? Not responding to verbal commands or a taser? Charging three officers with guns drawn? Probably not going to end well.

pinchvalve wrote: These stories always seem so obvious in hindsight. I'm guessing that the guy who got his face eaten on a bridge in FL probably would agree with the officers. Out of your mind? Not responding to verbal commands or a taser? Charging three officers with guns drawn? Probably not going to end well.

Again, think about it from the victims perspective: Injured, looking for help, seeing officers arrive, confused as to why they are yelling at him, and moving towards them to talk to them ("charging them? Yeah, right. As the South Park cartoon so aptly stated "he's comin' right for us!").

I'd be "fighting" a taser shot too, in that situation, yelling about "wait, I just need help" and no officer will listen to that when amped up on a call.

I've seen cops behave this way in person, so I don't trust their recollection of how events went down.

There is going to be alot more to this........

I want to make a GIF of a "race card" and the Enterprise colliding with the title "Brace for Impact!"

yamaha wrote: There is going to be alot more to this........

This.

Let's all jump to conclusions, shall we?