Family of unarmed man shot 10 times by police files lawsuit
Attorneys for the family of Jonathan Ferrell have filed a civil lawsuit against several parties connected to his death. The 24-year-old former FAMU Football player was shot 10 times by Charlotte Police officer Randall Kerrick on Sept. 14. after seeking help from a resident.
The unarmed man had got into a car wreck in the woods, and knocked on the door of the a resident. The woman at the home called police because she thought Ferrell was a burglar.
According to the complaint filed Monday by Jonathan Ferrell’s mother, the family is targeting the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe and the shooter, Officer Randall Kerrick. The mother, Georgia Ferrell, said Tuesday that she hopes the lawsuit will lead to changes in the way Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are trained.
“I don’t know if it will bring peace, but I hope and pray that (in) doing this … that they get the proper training,” Ferrell said at a news conference, flanked by her two attorneys.
According to the lawsuit, the woman “does not understand that Jonathan may be injured and is in need of assistance and becomes frightened by his presence on her doorstep at such a late hour. She quickly closes the door, calls 911 for assistance and activates her home security system.”
The woman, who was home with her 1-year-old child at the time of the incident, told police Ferrell was yelling for her to turn her alarm off. She never reported that he made threatening statements, stole property or inflicted any harm on her.
As Ferrell walked down the street in search of help elsewhere, Kerrick and two other officers showed up in response to the resident’s call. He tracked down Ferrell and shot him 10 times. Kerrick has been charged with felony voluntary manslaughter, and will stand before a grand jury on Jan. 21. He remains free on $50,000 bond.
We will keep you updated on the developments of this story.