A North Carolina police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed black man.
Officer Randall Kerrick of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department fired 12 shots, ten of which hit 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell, according to authorities.
Ferrell, who had played football for Florida A&M University, was seeking help after crashing his car, according to authorities.
When he knocked on a woman’s door, she called 911 — alarmed to find Ferrell on her doorstep.
When officers arrived at the scene, authorities say Ferrell ran toward officers. When a Taser failed to stop his approach, Kerrick fired.
Now, Reuters reports, civil rights leaders are demanding that video footage of the incident be made public.
Guest
- Mary Curtis, wrote the Washington Post article ”After Jonathan Ferrell shooting, a plea for ‘the benefit of the doubt’ for young black men.” She tweets @mcurtisnc3.
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