CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A detective has testified that a North Carolina police officer told investigators the unarmed black man he is accused of shooting two years ago had "crazy-looking eyes," and said he feared the man would take his gun.
Detective Edwin Morales was on the witness stand for nearly four hours Friday in the trial of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Randall Kerrick. Kerrick is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell, a former Florida A&M football player.
Relying on memory and a transcript of his interview, Morales said Kerrick told him he yelled at Ferrell to stop after another officer's Taser failed to affect Ferrell. According to Morales, Kerrick said he fired at Ferrell several times and fell while he backpedaled. He said the gunshots didn't appear to faze Ferrell.