NC police officer charged with shooting unarmed man

[JustinR]

(Newser) – Randall Kerrick, the cop accused of shooting an unarmed man in Charlotte on Saturday, didn't just fire at 24-year-old Jonathan A. Ferrell—he fired 12 times, hitting Ferrell with 10 of those shots, say authorities, per the Charlotte Observer...

That's an 83% hit rate. NYPD should take note.......

So I guess the officer shot until slide lock?

[Aglifter]

Greg, I think there's a significant difference between a desire to destroy the "hated enemy", and desiring the sensation of killing someone.

[Greg]

Greg, I think there's a significant difference between a desire to destroy the "hated enemy", and desiring the sensation of killing someone.

I think it's a matter of degree. There have always been soldiers who enjoyed the killing that is associated with the profession. They're certainly wired differently from most people, true, but I do believe that actual decency is measured differently.

[Aglifter]

If its anything like sports - once you start being more focused on inflicting fear and pain, you're heading down a very black path...

[mekender]

Mekender and Mike,
Thanks for the responses. They were enlightening. I'll be curious to find out more details as they are released.

So unsurprisingly the local NAACP is calling this proof of racism even though at 2:30am I very seriously doubt that the cop could easily tell the color of the guy initially.

And they are calling for this to be raised to a murder charge based on the number of rounds fired.

[308Mike]

Mekender and Mike,
Thanks for the responses. They were enlightening. I'll be curious to find out more details as they are released.

You might want to watch this YouTube video, but just keep in mind she's not under the influence of anything, and she can still move (even if it's NOT the attention one of the guys wants) while being tased, and she's not full of adrenaline. I suspect either one of the darts didn't make good skin contact, or she may have been partially dehydrated (or 'cause it's a training scenario, the battery might be running low from multiple uses).

[mekender]

Mekender and Mike,
Thanks for the responses. They were enlightening. I'll be curious to find out more details as they are released.

You might want to watch this YouTube video, but just keep in mind she's not under the influence of anything, and she can still move (even if it's NOT the attention one of the guys wants) while being tased, and she's not full of adrenaline. I suspect either one of the darts didn't make good skin contact, or she may have been partially dehydrated (or 'cause it's a training scenario, the battery might be running low from multiple uses).

I have been hit with one, both voluntarily and against my will, I fully know what it feels like and what capabilities I would have during the shock.

I believe from what I have heard, that in the case of this shooting, the tazer did not make contact or malfunctioned.

[Aesop]

I don't care if the tazer was actually a plastic dummy model.

In what alternate universe do you shoot the first guy you see, who subsequently turns out to be completely unarmed?
This was another $#!^head with a badge and no common sense, who had a two-gun spaz attack, and I hope he enjoys being cellmates with Bubba. Best place for him to think about what he did.

There is precedent for this kind of police work:

"When I see 5 weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of the park in full view of a hundred people, I shoot the bastards, that’s my policy."
"That was a Shakespeare In The Park production of Julius Caesar you moron!"
- Naked Gun

[mekender]

Spoke with a York County Sheriff Deputy last night and the subject came up, he indicated that he and his co-workers flat out agree that for the dept to charge this cop so quickly is an indication that there is a clear belief that he screwed up bad.

[martini]

Mekender and Mike,
Thanks for the responses. They were enlightening. I'll be curious to find out more details as they are released.

You might want to watch this YouTube video, but just keep in mind she's not under the influence of anything, and she can still move (even if it's NOT the attention one of the guys wants) while being tased, and she's not full of adrenaline. I suspect either one of the darts didn't make good skin contact, or she may have been partially dehydrated (or 'cause it's a training scenario, the battery might be running low from multiple uses).

The video was entertaining, but based on her reaction, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be running towards whoever tasered her. I think it's likely that the taser didn't make good contact and that the officer panicked. To be clear, I'm not saying it's a good shoot. My curiosity was that the taser was deployed and the dude still got shot. It seemed to me that there is more to the story. I'd just like to know what it is.