Unarmed man shot by NC police after apparent wreck

[Tripper11]

Source: Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An unarmed man who may have been involved in a wreck was shot and killed by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Saturday as he ran toward him, officials said.

A statement issued by police said officers responded to a breaking and entering call on the city's east side around 2:30 a.m. Someone had knocked on the door of a residence, and the homeowner opened the door, thinking it was her husband. When she discovered it wasn't, she closed the door and called 911.

When officers arrived, they found Jonathan A. Ferrell, 24, a short distance from the home, and he matched a description given by the homeowner, police said.

The statement said officers approached Ferrell to investigate the original call. Ferrell ran toward the officers and was hit with a Taser. Ferrell continued to run toward police when Ofc. Randall Kerrick fired his weapon, hitting Ferrell several times. Ferrell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/unarmed-man-shot-nc-police-after-apparent-wreck

[Th1onein]

1. Note to self: Run towards police, get shot and die.

Right. Everyone seeing this?

[Dash87]

4. Severe shock and trauma causes people to do random things.

People have been found wandering miles ahead of where their cars crashed, or freaking out. Running towards a cop in a moment of insanity isn't that unlikely.

[L0oniX]

9. Note2: Run from police, get shot and die.

[Th1onein]

12. The only other alternative is to stand your ground.

And we all know what happens when you do that: you get shot and die.

Cops in this country are out of control.

[tabasco]

14. Note to self

Many cops are fucking cowards and derelicts not fit to be in public service

[musical_soul]

2. Police are often paranoid.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. The cop that did the shooting has since been arrested.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3669820

[jtuck004]

5. I was on a call, years ago, back when police were adults, and this guy came out of

the car at the officer, who held a stick. The guy lunged at him with a knife, typical 4 1/2" Buck folding...the office had the stick across his body, an end in each hand. Took a half step forward as he laid the stick across the guy's forehead. Hard. They guy went down, we took him to the hospital, (I was a medic), and later he went to jail. Well trained, and tough enough not to have to pull a deadly weapon.

While I understand their fear, the officer's training should have been better than to use lethal force against an unarmed person before they even find out what was going on. The victim most likely had some kind of mental issue, and that's a hell of a price to pay for being sick, regardless of the underlying cause.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. In which past? The Rodney King past? The Chicago 68 past? The hosing civil rights

activists past? Or just the general 'hassle and arrest gay people' past? Which was the past in which police were 'adults'?

[Comrade Grumpy]

13. I hear you, but there has been a trend toward increasing militarization of the police.

And a seeming increase in their willingness to use deadly force (and non-lethal force, too).

I highly recommend "Rise of the Warrior Cop:The Militarization of America's Police Forces" by Radley Balko. Just out this summer.

[Thor_MN]

16. Of course there has, tax write-offs for surplus equipment to police...

Get some of the LEOs using military equipment and be able to write it off, then profit off the "keeping up with the Jones's" market that you have created.

[jtuck004]

15. Lol. The hosing civil rights and a little later past.

Back when they didn't pull a gun for everything. I didn't say they were good people overall, but they didn't pull a gun for every little thing like I see today.

[Tx4obama]

6. Additional article with updates, below

Here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/justice/north-carolina-police-shooting/index.html

[mainer]

8. That poor man was doomed from the start

Survives a car wreck, tries to get help from a homeowner who slams the door in his face, and then shot by police. What if there'd been someone else in the car? What if he was desperate to save his child? Paranoia will destroy the human race.

[L0oniX]

10. It's just more evidence that we live in a fear based society ...which is what TPTB want.

[marble falls]

11. Business as usual per the past. Guess who was white and who was black.....

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57602996/unarmed-man-possibly-looking-for-help-after-wreck-shot-by-police/

the video is excellent.

[magical thyme]

17. FWIW, investigation found the cop used excessive force and he has been charged

"Kerrick has been with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police since April 2011.

Monroe said at a news conference that Kerrick was in custody. Police say he was charged with voluntary manslaughter after an investigation found that the shooting was excessive."

[blkmusclmachine]

18. .

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