Jury deadlocked, mistrial declared in Charlotte police shooting case

[DonCoquixote]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mistrial-in-police-shooting-case-in-charlotte/ar-BBlZaJY?ocid=spartandhp

OK, this has LONG since gotten predictable, and it never should have been.

We have no way of knowing if the 8-4 was 8 wanting to convict, or four wanting to convict. We have no way of knowing if the ones who did not want to convict were earnest, or bigots.

But there is one thing we do know, in our courts, black live do not matter as much as white ones, and that is why, for all of their zany antics and flaws, I hope BLM makes the sort of big international stink needed to wake this nation out of it's moral coma.

[cwydro]

1. Well, they didn't make much of a stink here so far.

About eight protesters lay down in front of the courthouse to block downtown traffic.

There were some rumblings later at the baseball game, but it died out pretty quick.

[Travis_0004]

2. It was 4 to convict, 8 to aquit.

[DonCoquixote]

3. Thanks

I would Love to say I am surprised, but I am not. I also have a bad feeling (which I will happily be corrected on) I could predict what socioeconomic bracket the * were from.

[cwydro]

5. Where did you hear that?

The newspaper said they did not know which way the vote went - this morning's story and I've not heard that on any news reports.

[Travis_0004]

9. I heard it on the news last night

But the article the OP linked says the same thing.

[Tipperary]

10. Without a link I don't believe it.

Our local news says no one knows as yet.

[Travis_0004]

11. The link in the original post of this thread says so

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mistrial-in-police-shooting-case-in-charlotte/ar-BBlZaJY?ocid=spartandhp

[B2G]

12. Charlotte Observer is reporting that as well

Jury deadlocks 8-4 in favor of acquittal; mistrial declared in Kerrick police shooting case

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article31779618.html#storylink=cpy

[cwydro]

13. They updated since this morning then.

I'm not surprised. The dashcam footage pretty much made it obvious Ferrell had charged the cops.

Kerrick still overreacted in panic, imo, and he should never be a cop again.

He used to be a dogcatcher; not sure if he should even have that job.

[B2G]

14. Must have. Yesterday they were reporting

they didn't know how many were for/against acquittal.

The million dollar question now is will they attempt to retry the case...Personally, I think if they do, the result will likely be the same.

[Lee-Lee]

4. After seeing the dash cam footage I figured there was no way there would be a conviction

Prior to seeing the footage, based on all I had heard, I figured the prosecution had a good case.

After seeing the footage that came out during the trial, I am surprised they even took it to trial.

When a person is on video approaching officers who have both pistols and tasers (you can see the laser dot from one taser on his chest) drawn, the officers yell for him to stop and get on the ground and he instead charges toward them- that's not footage that supports a manslaughter charge.

I have to wonder why they waited to release that footage until the trial was already underway.

[Logical]

6. WTF is wrong with you......

Charges towards them unarmed!!!! And they have tasers? And there are two of them. And shot him 12 times?????

Most people say he was injured and seeking help.

Maybe tackle his ass and handcuff him.

[Calista241]

7. it's easy to say that

but anything can happen in a fistfight / wrestling match. Cops also carry a bunch of equipment on them that's as available to an opponent in a wrestling match as it is to themselves.

[Lee-Lee]

8. To your points

They did try the taser, it was unsuccessful. A taser is almost impossible to get a good hit and successful employment when someone is moving fast.

That you were not aware that they tried to use the taser shows you have made your mind up about this case without bothering to know the facts.

He probably was injured. May have not been in a proper mental state.

However, the cops had absolutely zero way to know that. Sure, your hindsight and Monday morning quarterbacking knows.

You and the jury must judge their actions based on what they knew at the time. They got dispatched to an attempted breaking and entering. They pulled up and a man matching the description was walking down the street. He did not stop when ordered by cops but instead charged at them.

That's all the officers knew. That's the info they had to work with- a suspect matching the description of the call they were just dispatched to for a B&E attempted on an occupied dwelling was found in the location, when cops pulled up and told him to get on the ground with weapons drawn he instead charged at them.

The rest to them, at that point, is unknown.

When judged as the law says it just be when judging the use of force by an officer or civilian- through the knowledge that the person had at the moment- any conviction is going to be a long uphill battle.