America's next chit storm? Police kill unarmed man who was looking for help

[getbuckets]

RIP, just an unfortunate situation all around.

CLIFFS
* Jonathan Ferrell appears to have crashed his car down an embankment about 2:30 a.m. and then knocked on the door of a nearby residence looking for help shortly after
* The homeowner opened the door thinking it was her husband. When she realized it was 24-year-old Ferrell - a stranger - she closed the door and called 911
* When police arrived, authorities claim Ferrell charged officers before one of them shot him several times

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/justic...ing/index.html

(CNN) -- Police in North Carolina shot and killed a man running toward them Saturday morning -- but he may have just been looking for help after a car wreck.

Officers responded to a "breaking and entering" 911 call at a home in Charlotte.

The homeowner told dispatchers that a man had been knocking on her door repeatedly.

Police say that when they got to the scene, a man matching the caller's description ran toward them.

One of the officers fired his stun gun, but it was "unsuccessful." Another officer then opened fire, police said.

He was unarmed.

Jonathan Ferrell died at the scene. He was shot several times.

Police now believe Ferrell was seeking assistance after crashing his car.

Ferrell was 24 and a former football player at Florida A&M University.

Police found a wrecked car nearby, indicating that he may have been trying to get help.

"It was a pretty serious accident," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe told CNN affiliate WSOC.

The crash was so severe that authorities now believe Ferrell had to climb out of the back window, affiliate WBTV reported.

He ran to the closest house for help.

The woman inside thought it was her husband.

"To her surprise, it was an individual that she did not know or recognize," Monroe told WBTV. "She immediately closed the door, hit her panic alarm, called 911."

The man stood outside and "continued to attempt to gain the attention of the homeowner," a police statement said.

The shooting

Police have charged Officer Randall Kerrick with voluntary manslaughter -- a felony. He turned himself in Saturday afternoon and was being held early Sunday on $50,000 bond.

Police used "charged" and "ran" and "advanced" in their description of what Ferrell did.

There were three officers at the scene, but Kerrick was the only one to use a gun.

He fired several times, police said.

"The evidence revealed that Mr. Ferrell did advance on Officer Kerrick and the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive," police said in another statement issued late Saturday night. "Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter. "

All three officers have been placed on paid leave.

A charge of voluntary manslaughter means the person used excessive force in self-defense, or carried out the act without intent to kill.

Police called the incident "unfortunate."

"It has devastated a family as well as caused a great deal of sadness and anxiety in our organization," a statement said.

The reaction

Friends expressed grief on social media, calling Ferrell a "brother" and demanding "justice."

He had at least one brother, Willie, who played with him at Florida A&M.

The university said it was "deeply saddened" at the loss. In a statement, Michael Smith, interim athletic director, said Ferrell played safety and was part of the 2010 championship team. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during their time of bereavement," Smith said.

Ferrell was engaged.

"We loved him. Our family loved him," his fiancee's mother told WSOC.

His 25th birthday would have been next month.

ude

pics of dude, apparently he had a daughter too, who wasnt in the car crash: http://www.everyjoe.com/2013/09/15/c...%28EveryJoe%29


pic of house he knocked on

[TrillBrah]

damn. RIP

[Fozzy13]

Too bad nothing will happen to them.

phucking *******s

[0rbit]

Another very sad story of police being blood thirsty killers. Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national outrage.

[IBench5Pounds]

Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national "outrage".

Sauce?

[ign_fan_4life]

Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national "outrage".

Knew this post was coming.

[getbuckets]

Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national "outrage".

just stop if you really think racism is a zero sum game. grow up.

nothing about this story cries racism anyway.

[Merc009]

They should train officers better instead of just hiring out of shape fat guys

[MVHagey]

He's getting charged with a felony, how is this like Zimmerman?

[ace_gauntlit]

Another very sad story of police being blood thirsty killers. Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national outrage.

and here we go again

[0rbit]

Sauce?

Just one incident.

[TroyLeroy]

dam, just unlucky situation
why did the wife panic so much she had to call the police?
how was he not able to explain or was it because he was hurt too bad

[DrunkenDouche]

paid leave... damn they have it rough.

[MikeHawkBiggums]

Another very sad story of police being blood thirsty killers. Police kill random white men all the time but I guess that's not worthy of national news and national outrage.

Fukk off you race baiting bitch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kelly_Thomas

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/us/cal...ing/index.html

[Mav3535]

Oh boy, he's black (no racist). The NAACP and those charlatans Jackson and Sharpton are gonna be all over this soon.

If this kid was white, I promise you that this would never get more than local media coverage. Despite this being terrible.

But dam, poor dude. He was actually trying to do something good and got really unlucky. I would not want to be those cops right now, brb fired, brb sued so far out their arseholes

[KumetMebruh]

all three officers on paid leave okeeeeeee

[Footballguru]

holy **** that is sad. strong rasicsts everywhere. someone knocks on ur door and u lock, hit ur panic button, and call 911? ****in rasicit bish

[vincelance54]

inb4 miscers defend the cop

[SpiritFighter]

So apparently he shot the man several times....without the intent to kill? Trolololol

[MVHagey]

holy **** that is sad. strong rasicsts everywhere. someone knocks on ur door and u lock, hit ur panic button, and call 911? ****in rasicit bish

From where I live, yes, or get a gun.

[0rbit]

Fukk off you race baiting bitch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kelly_Thomas

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/us/cal...ing/index.html

I'm not the one race baiting dumbfuk, I'm just calling out the media for their racebaiting. There is a very obvious double standard racial agenda in the media when reporting this stuff.

[E-Tank]

dam, just unlucky situation
why did the wife panic so much she had to call the police?
how was he not able to explain or was it because he was hurt too bad

i was thinking that as i read the story

so a guy thats not your husband knocks on your door so you hit the panic alarm? Notsherriffsrs

And lets say the victim was running towards the officers and they told him to freeze or w/e why didnt he stop and maybe point to the direction of the crash?

[mfitty9000]

wow, sad story. RIP

everyone is just scared ****less of this huge black man and it causes his death. crashes car, bangs on someones door for help/phone, female thinks hes gonna rape and kill her. sees officers finally arrive, runs to them in a panic, they think he is "charging" at them and shoot and kill. I really feel bad for him and his family, this is gonna be a pretty big story when officer arrives in court. Already predicting not guilty verdict, officers will claim they were doing their job and protecting each other from this "threat", will walk on not guilty charge, go back to work and black community will be furious, for good reason

[seanmaehwa]

sad man, very sad.

[celticbhoy88]

Rip.

[mfitty9000]

I'm not the one race baiting dumbfuk, I'm just calling out the media for their racebaiting. There is a very obvious double standard racial agenda in the media when reporting this stuff.

really? how many recent police shootings involve killing a random white man? are you fuking high or just stupid? police don't go around randomly killing people, and if they do it makes the news every time.

[FoxMcCocks]

LOL woman sees *** running towards her, immediately locks the door and calls police.

Police come and see ***, shoot and kill him for no reason

racism of peace

[Aryansthetics]

It never ends it just never ends.

[MikeHawkBiggums]

I'm not the one race baiting dumbfuk, I'm just calling out the media for their racebaiting. There is a very obvious double standard racial agenda in the media when reporting this stuff.

What double standard? Both the Kelly Thomas story and the story in the OP have been covered by major news networks. Like I said before, fukk off with your race baiting nonsense you ignorant little twat.

[Erik111]

R.I.P, I can't imagine what that family is going through.

In my area its extremely competitive to become police officers, how did this guy get a badge?