08-13-2015, 06:03 PM
Jonathan Ferrel Murder Trial -- Officer Kerrick Testifies
The two other responding officers have backed Kerrick's version of events during testimony.
![[Image: KerrickONE.jpg]](http://wfae.org/sites/wfae/files/styles/x_large/public/201508/KerrickONE.jpg)
Today, ^ Randall Kerrick is testifying in his own defense.
The officer who fired the taser at Ferrell, Officer Little, said he told Ferrell to stop pacing and yelling before he tried to tase him and missed.
Little and Kerrick both claimed on the stand that Kerrick pulled his gun when Little pulled his taser (Little says he's never fired a taser on the job before). Kerrick said that's according to what he was told to do by a senior officer in use of force cases.
Both officers testified that when the taser missed, Kerrick told Ferrell to get on the ground and Ferrell charged at Kerrick, who began backpedaling and shooting.
Kerrick says he was afraid he was going to die because he couldn't stop Ferrell, who had also yelled at the officers "Shoot Me, Shoot Me" and was "acting like he was on drugs or something".
Kerrick thought he had fired 6 - 8 times, but he acutally unloaded all 12 rounds, 10 of them hit Ferrell.
Kerrick acknowledged turning off his dashcam when he arrived on the scene; I didn't see where he explained why but I'd like to know.
The third officer's dash cam, Officer Neal's, is the one that caught part of the incident. It doesn't show Ferrell pacing around or acting erratically as Little and Kerrick claim.
There is also no recording of Ferrell shouting anything and no recording of the officers commanding Ferrell to stop or get on the ground before the gunfire rings out. The officers contend that the microphone was worn by Officer Neal who was still in his vehicle when they yelled the commands.
Sure would have been helpful to have body cams on all the officers, or even more than just one dash cam rolling.
Trial testimony and recap: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/lo...87669.html
The two other responding officers have backed Kerrick's version of events during testimony.
Today, ^ Randall Kerrick is testifying in his own defense.
The officer who fired the taser at Ferrell, Officer Little, said he told Ferrell to stop pacing and yelling before he tried to tase him and missed.
Little and Kerrick both claimed on the stand that Kerrick pulled his gun when Little pulled his taser (Little says he's never fired a taser on the job before). Kerrick said that's according to what he was told to do by a senior officer in use of force cases.
Both officers testified that when the taser missed, Kerrick told Ferrell to get on the ground and Ferrell charged at Kerrick, who began backpedaling and shooting.
Kerrick says he was afraid he was going to die because he couldn't stop Ferrell, who had also yelled at the officers "Shoot Me, Shoot Me" and was "acting like he was on drugs or something".
Kerrick thought he had fired 6 - 8 times, but he acutally unloaded all 12 rounds, 10 of them hit Ferrell.
Kerrick acknowledged turning off his dashcam when he arrived on the scene; I didn't see where he explained why but I'd like to know.
The third officer's dash cam, Officer Neal's, is the one that caught part of the incident. It doesn't show Ferrell pacing around or acting erratically as Little and Kerrick claim.
There is also no recording of Ferrell shouting anything and no recording of the officers commanding Ferrell to stop or get on the ground before the gunfire rings out. The officers contend that the microphone was worn by Officer Neal who was still in his vehicle when they yelled the commands.
Sure would have been helpful to have body cams on all the officers, or even more than just one dash cam rolling.
Trial testimony and recap: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/lo...87669.html