This developing story doesn't seem to have been diaried yet, but it's already hitting the national news media and is on the front page of Reddit.
Police in North Carolina shot and killed a man running toward them Saturday morning -- but he may have just been looking for help after a car wreck.
The victim was identified as 24-year-old
Jonathan Ferrell, a former FAMU football player who had recently moved to North Carolina.
From the Huffington Post link:
Early Saturday, [Jonathan Ferrell] had apparently been in a wreck and was seeking help at a nearby house, according to a statement from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. A woman answered the door and, when she didn't recognize the man, called 911.
Officers responding to the breaking and entering call found Ferrell a short distance from the home, police said. As they approached him, Ferrell ran toward the officers, who tried to stop him with a Taser. Police said he continued to run toward them when officer Randall Kerrick fired his gun, hitting Ferrell several times. Ferrell died at the scene.
Jonathan Ferrell was unarmed.
According to the Charlotte Observer,
It was the first time in more than three decades that a CMPD officer has been charged in an on-duty shooting.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Rodney Monroe said the shooting victim had apparently wrecked his vehicle early Saturday and sought help at a nearby residence before encountering police.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/...
The officer, Randall Kerrick, 27, turned himself in on Saturday and has since been released on $50,000 bond.
The police investigation found “the shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive,” authorities said in a statement late Saturday. “Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter.”
This marks the first time in over 30 years a CMPD officer has been charged in a shooting. I'm not going to offer a lot of commentary, but we'll probably be hearing a lot more about this tragic story in the days to come.