Kerrick Trial: Officer’s Use of Force Training in Question
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CHARLOTTE, NC — Officer Wes Kerrick’s use of force training is in question as week two of testimony in the high-profile case moves along.
The defense began its case after the prosecution called their last witness Tuesday afternoon.
Defense attorneys are calling witnesses to credit what Officer Kerrick told investigators after shooting Jonathan Ferrell ten times.
“Since he had a taser, I went… with lethal, drew my firearm out,” Officer Kerrick told investigators in a recorded interview.
Officer CT Thompson was with Officer Kerrick when the defense says a lieutenant advised them to do that in order to back up an officer.
They had just encountered a suspect with a knife.
Since that happened in 2012, the judge asked jurors to leave while he heard from Officer Thompson. He is waiting to decide if that testimony is relevant to this trial.
“What instructions did you all receive about how that incident should have been handled?” said Judge Robert Ervin.
“One should have had lethal, one non-lethal,” said Officer Thompson.
Prosecutors argued the lieutenant was referring to armed suspects.
They’d just wrapped up their case with Capt. Mike Campagna’s testimony. He told jurors it is not CMPD policy in cases of unarmed suspects like Ferrell.
“When someone has a taser, that officer should be ready to cuff that person,” said Capt. Campagna.
He told jurors Officer Kerrick should have reholstered his gun, and used other weapons.
“…either baton, pepper spray or taser,” said Capt. Campagna.
The time to reholster is questionable for the defense who argues Ferrell ignored orders to stop and was on top of Officer Kerrick. Officer Kerrick told investigators he though Ferrell was going to get his gun.
WCCB Charlotte legal contributor John Snyder expects the defense to bring in the lieutenant who suggested the lethal back up method, experts on national policy and Officer Kerrick himself.
By the end of court Tuesday, the defense called four of Officer Kerrick’s past supervisors who rated him as a good officer.
“The defense is going to say this guy is a by-the-book kind of officer, and he did exactly what he was trained to do. Whether we like what he did or not, this is what he was trained to do,” said Snyder.
