Man’s mother wants justice
Officer’s case ends in mistrial
By Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Georgia Ferrell says she’s still seeking justice after a jury couldn’t unanimously decide the fate of a white North Carolina police officer accused in the 2013 shooting death of her son, an unarmed black motorist.
“I’ve got to keep fighting,” Ferrell said outside a courthouse late Friday afternoon after she heard a judge declare a mistrial in the voluntary manslaughter case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Kerrick. “We must get justice.”
A racially diverse jury of eight women and four men deliberated over four days. All told, it took four votes on the charge of voluntary manslaughter against Kerrick in the death of Jonathan Ferrell, a former Florida A&M football player.
Judge Robert Ervin, the grandson of former North Carolina Sen. Sam Ervin, twice asked the jury if continuing talks would help overcome the impasse.
“Honestly, we have exhausted every possibility,” the foreman said after Ervin asked a second time Friday. Hours earlier, the foreman had said the jury was making progress in resolving the 8-4 deadlock.
Defense attorney George Laughrun called for the mistrial, saying jurors were at an impasse after deliberating for a total of 19 hours. Prosecutors, who had pressed Ervin to urge the jury to continue deliberations, now must decide if they want to try Kerrick a second time.
Prosecutor Adren Harris issued a statement saying the state attorney general’s office will review the trial transcript and other information and fully consider the options before making any decisions regarding the case.
The Ferrell family has already settled a lawsuit with the city of Charlotte, receiving $2.25 million. Kerrick is suspended from the force without pay.
Outside court, a handful of protesters lay in the middle of the street to protest soon after the mistrial was declared. Several shouted “No justice, no peace” at members of Kerrick’s family as they left the courthouse.
Protests resumed hours later when dozens gathered Friday night to protest near Charlotte’s minor league baseball stadium as a game was in progress.
Earlier, prosecutors had said nonlethal force should have been used to subdue Ferrell in September 2013. Two officers with Kerrick didn’t fire their guns. Kerrick’s attorneys said the officer feared for his life when he shot and killed Ferrell while responding to a breaking-and-entering call.
Kerrick testified that he repeatedly fired because Ferrell kept charging at him and he didn’t think his weapon was even working. He fired 12 shots, hitting Ferrell 10 times.
