CHARLOTTE, NC– The dash-camera video. It’s become the focus of controversy in the voluntary manslaughter case against CMPD Officer Randall Kerrick. It’s also not going to be released to the public, for now.
Thursday, a Mecklenburg County Judge put a block on the release of the video. It shows the moments before Officer Kerrick opened fire, shooting 24-year-old Jonathon Ferrell.
On September 14th, Ferrell crashed his car and apparently tried to get help at a nearby house. The woman inside thought he was trying to break in and called 911. When police arrived, they say Ferrell charged at them; that’s when Officer Kerrick shot Ferrell, who was unarmed.
WCCB recently spoke to Ferrell’s fiancé, Cache Heidl. She says Ferrell’s family and their attorney have been pushing to have the dash-cam footage released to the public. The family also says Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe promised to give them a copy of the footage.
Chief Monroe denies that claim. “I never made that promise, nor would I ever make a promise such as that,” says Monroe.
The decision to release or not release the video is now in the hands of James Coman, a state prosecutor appointed by the North Carolina Attorney General. In court Thursday, Coman said he received a call at home over the weekend from a reliable source saying that city was planning to release to video.
Coman said if that were to happen, it would jeopardize Officer Kerrick’s chances to a fair trial.
The attorney representing the Ferrell family apparently didn’t know about today’s hearing. WCCB reached out to him for comment, but we have not heard back.
