Kerrick Trial: Witnesses to Shooting Describe Dash Cam Video
CHARLOTTE, NC — After two years, the public can now view the dash cam video capturing the moments before Officer Wes Kerrick shot unarmed Jonathan Ferrell ten times.
Prosecutors presented it to jurors during day three of testimony in the high-profile case.
The video shows officers pulling up to Ferrell who’s walking on a sidewalk. When Officer Kerrick gets out, he runs toward officers, through the police cars.
He runs off camera. Officers yell, “Get on the ground!” three times before shots are fired.
Jurors could hear the 12 shots fired that night. 10 hit Ferrell.
The officer driving the cruiser with the camera, Officer Adam Neal, told jurors Wednesday what he saw once he ran to the pair.
While testifying, he got on the courtroom floor to demonstrate what you don’t see on camera. He says Ferrell was unarmed, on Officer Kerrick’s legs and feet. He saw taser cords from a third officer’s taser, but it was ineffective.
He says officer Kerrick held his gun in his right hand and scooted backwards.
When prosecutors asked him why he didn’t pull his gun, he told jurors: “Once I saw they went for tasers, I’m thinking fight versus pulling out anything.”
However, defense attorney Michael Greene told Officer Neal to explain why he didn’t fire his weapon.
He said, “I’d probably end up shooting Officer Kerrick.”
WCCB Charlotte contributors James Ferguson and John Snyder weighed in on the video.
“What jurors should take away and what everyone else seeing this should take away, is that we have to wait,” said Ferguson.
Snyder was interested in why prosecutors presented the video.
“I definitely see where Kerrick’s team, the defense team, absolutely says, ‘Hey, this shows him coming at Officer Kerrick.'”
Thursday, jurors will hear more from Officer Neal and what he saw once the shots were fired.
