THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013
CRIME
PAGE 9
FAMU alumnus shot after surviving crash
IASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The deadly encounter was set in motion when a former college football player survived a wreck and went searching for help in the middle of the night. A frightened woman heard him pounding and opened her front door, then called police. Officers found the unarmed man, and one shot him when a taser failed to stop him from approaching.
Within hours, investigators determined that the shooting had been excessive and charged the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer with voluntary manslaughter in the death of former Florida A&M University football player Jonathan A. Ferrell.
Ferrell, 24, played for Florida A&M in 2009 and 2010, school officials said Sunday. He had recently moved to North Carolina.
Early Saturday, he had apparently been in a wreck and was seeking help at a nearby house, according to a statement from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. A woman entered 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 to.' ward them when officer Randall Kerrick fired his gun, hitting Ferrell several
involves killing without malice using "excessive force" in exercising "imperfect self-defense."
"Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during their time of bereavement."
POLice were not expected to offer further details Sunday, said Officer Keith Trietley, a department
times. Ferrell died at the scene.
times. Ferrell died at the scene. Police called Ferrell and Kerrick's initial encounter "appropriate and lawful." But in their statement late Saturday, they said "the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive" and "Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter."
MICHAEL SMITH
FAMU interim athletic director
Police said Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter, which under North Carolina law
A search of public records indicated that Ferrell began living in Charlotte early this year after moving from Tallahassee, Fla., home to FAMU.
spokesman.
spokesman.
The report was not available
Sunday,
Kerrick, 27, of Midland, turned himself in for booking Saturday evening and was released on $50,000 bond, according to
FAMU Interim Athletic Director Michael Smith said Ferrell played the safety position for the school's football team during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Police Chief Rodney Monroe described the auto accident in a news conference. Ferrell was driving a vehicle that crashed into trees off a northeast Charlotte road early Saturday, and the wreck was so severe he would have had to climb out of the back window to escape. Monroe said he didn't know what caused the crash and didn't say whether Ferrell suffered injuries.
Ferrell apparently walked about a half-mile to the nearest house and was "banging on the door viciously" to attract attention, Monroe said. Thinking it was her husband coming home late from work, the woman who lives there opened the door. When she saw Ferrell, she shut it and called police at about 2:30 a.m., Monroe said.
Monroe said he didn't think the unarmed Ferrell made threats or tried to rob the woman.
the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office website. Kerrick joined the police force in April 2011. He has a first appearance court hearing scheduled for Monday.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during their time of bereavement," Smith said in an
emailed statement.
Jonathan Ferrell is seen in an undated photo provided by Florida A&M University. Ferrell, 24, was shot and killed Saturday, by North Carolina police officer Randall Kerrick after a wreck in Charlotte, N.C. Ferrell was unarmed.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite comeback, Royals leave without victory in Detroit
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — Max Scherzer could only watch as the lead — and another shot at his 20th win — slipped away.
The Detroit right-hander didn't mind, especially once Alex Avila's homer put the Tigers ahead again moments later.
Avila homered twice, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning that lifted Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Sunday. Scherzer was in line for his 20th win when reliever Drew Smily allowed the Royals to tie it in the top of the eighth, but Avilla answered with a drive to right-center for his 11th home run this season.
"We're just looking to win the game," Scherzer said. "I don't care if I win another game, if we win our division, that's all that matters."
The AL Central-leading Tigers remained five games ahead of second-place Cleveland, which beat the Chicago White Sox.
"I thought he could get us to the end. In hindsight, I pushed him too far, but I thought he could get us through the bottom of the order and maybe get the win or turn it over to the pen with a tie game," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "He did a lot of bending, but he didn't break."
Scherzer has two losses and two no-decisions since a 19-1 start but was terrific Sunday. He allowed a run and five hits with 12 strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. He was on track to become baseball's first 20-game winner this year when he pitched out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the seventh to preserve a one-run lead
But Smyly (6-0) allowed a leadoff double to Alcides Escobar in the eighth. After a flyout by Alex Gordon, Emilio Bonifacio struck out - with Escobar stealing third on the third strike.
With Eric Hosmer batting, Smily bounced a wild pitch that didn't skip too far away from Avila. Hosmer, who hits left-handed, stood and motioned to Escobar, who gambled by trying to score.
That collision cost the Tigers any chance to catch Escobar. Tigers manager Jim Leyland came out to discuss the play with plate umpire James Hoye, but the run stood.
Avila jumped up to retrieve the ball, which had bounced up the first-base line - but the Detroit catcher plowed right into Hosmer, who had moved slightly to his right in an apparent effort to get out of the way.
Guthrie allowed three runs and 13 hits. He struck out four and walked one.
"It wasn't interference," Avila said. "It was the right call. It was just a weird situation."
his 20th save in 20 chances. Jeremy Guthrie (14-11) pitched all eight innings for the Royals, who remained 3.5 games back in the AL wild-card race.
Avila's first homer was a two-run drive in the second. Gordon hit a
Avila's homer in the bottom half put the Tigers back on top. After a poor start at the plate, Avila is hitting .313 since the Star break.
"Just trying to hit the ball hard. There's nothing that I changed, there's no magic or secret to it," Avila said. "I'm just having some luck, some good swings and hitting the ball hard, really."
solo homer for Kansas City in the fourth.
Detroit left 10 men on base. In the fifth, Miguel Cabrera led off with a single and Prince Fielder followed with a double. They were stranded when Guthrie retired Victor Martinez, Andy Dirks and Omar Infante on consecutive groundouts.
Joaquin Benoit got three outs for
Gordon's solo homer down the line in right field to lead off the fourth made it 2-1, and Bonifacio followed with a single. Scherzer found a groove after that, retiring 10 of 11 with nine strikeouts before a one-out single by Salvador Perez in the seventh.
his 20th save in 20 chances.
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Neutral Ground:"Resolved:The Death Penalty Shall Be Abolished"
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Tuesday, Sept. 17, 12:00-1:15 p.m., Centennial Rm, KS Union Dr. Steve Fawcett, Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas, and Ithar Hassaballa, Masters of Public Health and PhD Student in Applied Behavioral Science, will present on how we, as students, can contribute to global health. The program will focus on how KU is a part of the global fabric and the interconnectedness from Geneva to New York City to campus.
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