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Kerrick Trial - Day 14 - August 7

What to know:

  • Randall "Wes" Kerrick is accused of shooting and killing unarmed Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013.
  • Kerrick faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted.
  • Dash cam video from Officer Neal's cruiser was released Wednesday.

KERRICK TRIAL ARCHIVE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Officer Randall "Wes" Kerrick is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of unarmed black man Jonathan Ferrell in 2013.

The first week of testimony in the CMPD officer Randall Wes Kerrick's trial wrapped up Friday.

5 p.m. update: At the end of court Friday, the court heard from Officer Randall "Wes" Kerrick.

The jury watched his interview with detectives hours after he shot and killed Jonathan Ferrell.

Watch more from the trial:

"It started to seem like my firearm just wasn't working. So, like, I fired 3 more shots,” Kerrick said on the video.

Kerrick was in the interview room as homicide and internal affairs detectives asked him to walk back through the events of that night.

He told them Gerrell came toward him with "crazy looking eyes"  and that when a Taser didn't faze him, Ferrell turned his attention to Kerrick.

Earlier Friday afternoon, Detective Edwin Morales, who did the interview, read in Kerrick's words what happened next:

“I'm yelling ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ He starts to do something to the side. He starts not running but moving faster,” Morales said. “When he got within, say, 10 feet of me I fired my duty weapon. It did not faze him.”

4:04 p.m. update: Late Friday afternoon, the prosecution showed part of the video of interview with Officer Randall "Wes" Kerrick after Jonathan Ferrell was shot.

https://twitter.com/BlakeWSOC9/status/629747854710571008

1:34 p.m. update: The court released images of Officer Randall "Wes" Kerrick's service weapon.

12:09 p.m. update: After some dramatic testimony earlier in the week, including that dash camera video, on Friday morning prosecutors started with a string of witnesses who would go over some important but very technical evidence.

Dr. Sandra Bishop-Freeman was one of four scientists from the Medical Examiner's office in Raleigh who ran a series of tests on blood and tissue samples from Jonathan Ferrell's body.

https://twitter.com/BlakeWSOC9/status/629684056293285889

She said they found caffeine, tobacco and alcohol in his system.  She said his blood alcohol level was .06 when the sample was collected, hours after the shooting.

Kerrick's attorney asked her to calculate what his blood alcohol level might have been when Ferrell was driving, and she said it would have been over .08, which would have put him over the legal limit.

The doctor also said they do not test for marijuana although the jury has already heard that Ferrell had smoked marijuana before he wrecked his car.

Thursday’s testimony discussed the 12 bullets fired at the scene.

For hours, medical examiner Thomas Owens walked jurors through the trajectory of the 10 bullets that hit Jonathan Ferrell.

Owens said all of the shots came from a downward angle into the body.

He said it's not known how close the pair was, but said several of the bullet angles were consistent with the theory that the pair was on the ground.

It's not clear who will take the stand first Friday. Several key players have yet to testify, including the third officer who was at the scene with officer Kerrick.

  • WATCH a condensed version of the dash cam video released for the first time in the trial:

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Just yards away from the courthouse Monday, hundreds of people are expected to protest in Marshall Park.

Organizers call it a day of action and said events will focus on race and police relations.

TIMELINE: Police detail of events in officer-involved shooting

Organizers are also planning a "die in" on Third Street to commemorate Michael Brown one year after his death and the officer-involved shooting that sparked unrest in Ferguson.

CMPD officers said they're aware of the events and are working with organizers to ensure all protests are peaceful.

Kerrick case background

Randall "Wes" Kerrick is accused of shooting and killing unarmed Jonathan Ferrell on Sept. 14, 2013.

Three officers were called to the 7500 block of Reedy Creek Road in east Mecklenburg County around 2:30 that morning. A woman told police Ferrell was banging on her front door.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Ferrell ran toward the officers when they arrived. One of the officers deployed his Taser, but it was unsuccessful. Kerrick fired his weapon 12 times at close range. Ten of the shots hit Ferrell, killing him.

Police later discovered a wrecked car that Ferrell was driving about 500 yards away. Officers say Ferrell was unarmed.

Around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 14, 2013, Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter, marking the first time an officer in Charlotte had been charged with manslaughter for actions on duty.

Kerrick was released from jail on a $50,000 bond. He remains suspended without pay from CMPD.

Ferrell, a former football player at Florida A&M University, was living in Charlotte with his fiancée. A toxicology report released in November showed Ferrell had 60 mg/dl of ethanol in his system, equal to a .06 if blown during a DWI check point. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08.

The Ferrell family filed a civil suit against the city, county, CMPD and former Police Chief Rodney Monroe on Jan. 14, 2014. The suit was settled in May 2015 for $2.25 million.

George Laughrun and Michael J. Greene will represent Kerrick. His attorneys were hired by the Fraternal Order of Police.

SPECIAL SECTION: Kerrick Trial

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