The mistrial was due to the jury being deadlocked 8-4 on the voluntary manslaughter charge, which could have landed Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Kerrick up to 11 years in prison for the death of Jonathan Ferrell.
“Honestly, we have exhausted every possibility,” the foreman said after four days of deliberations where the jurors could not come to an agreement.
As the decision was announced, community members were laying in the street in front of the courthouse for a symbolic die-in. They were heard shouting “no justice, no peace,” at members of the officer’s family.
— Ashlee McGeehan (@AshleeFOX46) August 21, 2015
On September 14, 2013, Ferrell had been in a car accident and went to a nearby home seeking assistance. The resident’s opted to call 9-1-1 and report that he was attempting to break into their home instead of helping him.
When the police arrived, one of the officers shot at Ferrell with his taser before Kerrick fired 12 shots, ten of which hit the college student.
The officer’s attorney’s claimed that he fired at the unarmed man because he feared that he was about to be attacked and that the young man would steal his gun.
Kerrick made no comments to the media as him and his wife exited the packed courthouse.
The city has already paid out a 2.25 million dollar settlement to Ferrell’s family. The prosecutor stated that they will be reviewing the case to determine whether or not they would like to proceed with a retrial.
