Thursday, August 13, 2015

Cedar's Take Randall Kerrick Trial

Normally I would just report the facts and let the comments sort themselves out. But some interesting sidebar is going on while the trial churns through the facts.

First, CMPD policy is a mess, the policy is apparently there is no policy. I've always heard, if one pulls a taser the other draws his weapon. Seems fairly logical. But that is not the policy now or next week, but maybe it was then at least for those who got the memo, but wait there is no memo but maybe it was a class?

Clearly our Officers have started to rely on the taser more than they should. Back in the day a serious beat down would be in order.

How many black men are going to die before they get the message don't fight with the police?

This Kerrick trial has clearly put a strain on relations within the department. CP has learned of a altercation Wednesday between a couple of Officers in the court house. Best described as a firm passing shoulder bump followed by a few shoves and F bombs. 

Kerrick may have violated department policy but that doesn't mean his actions rose to the high bar set for voluntary manslaughter. In other words the indictment was bogus from the get go.

The "Hands Up - Don't Shoot" crowd is embracing what they are calling the "big scary black man" theory.  At night black men are scarier than white guys? That doesn't explain why Little deployed his taser does it? Or does it? 

Speaking of Little his testimony makes it clear as to why the state didn't call him as a witness. I expect he'll never need to buy another beer in his life. Keep in mind he's apparently not drinking the RoMo koolaide or the NAACP tap water. Which makes him one lonely guy tonight. 

Of course you can't help but notice it's amateur hour when it comes to news reporting. The sensational nature of the trial has brought out the worst in Charlotte news media. Perennial douche sack Mark Becker (who notoriously ratted out a robbery detective to Rodney Monroe) spends his day firing off cliché tweets so nauseating that even Nancy Grace vomited. 


Runner up for most tasteless self promoting tweets goes to Caroline Vandergriff:



Aren't you glad the TWC News was the "first TV station" to report it on the air?

Then there is this idiot who is spamming the #JonathanFerrell hash tag



There is a special place in hell for people who use the name of the deceased to promote their worthless scam.
 
Then there is Jonathan Ferrell's brother Willie who is doing his best Jessie Jackson. Claiming Kerrick's tears are fake.
 
Two Officers arrive at the home where the call came from and its completely dark. If someone was trying break down my front door I'd have all the outside lights on and the inside dark not the entire house. The woman apparently didn't stay on the line with 911.

But what about Ferrell's behavior? Crazy man? Amped Up? Zombie? There apparently wasn't a complete autopsy as they didn't pop open his skull and examine his brain, and the medical examiner doesn't test for levels of THC because smoking weed normally doesn't cause death. And you can't trust Ferrell's family to give an honest assessment of his behavior in stressful situations.

Back to the video, six seconds from the time Kerrick opens his car door until he fires the first shot as a crazy man comes charging. Would you would have fired your weapon? Damn straight you would have. 




15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Needed a little humor in the midst of tragedy all over the place: That loser excuse for a journalist (one of many in Charlotte):

"Mark Becker (who notoriously ratted out a robbery detective to Rodney Monroe) spends his day firing off cliche tweets so nauseating that even Nancy Grace vomited."

ha!

Can't any actual journalist come to Charlotte and investigate this sham of a police department? Note to all fellow officers: This is obviously not directed at you, unless you are supporting the sham of "leadership" here. Stay safe, brothers and sisters keeping the City safer. If you're a lying toady dirtbag, please take your uniform off now and leave it off.

Anonymous said...

Worthless command staff: Campagna , Pearsall, Hinson, Foley, Bellamy, Collins, Brisbane, ...... Name yours! Let's play :)

Anonymous said...

Whats the story of the two officers fighting. I cant stand that extremely vague comments on this sight. We need details. What about a conversation with putney and little before testifying.

Anonymous said...

Two Officers getting into a chest bump, shouting match, is another sign that the department is suffering due to the divisive nature of this case. Surely there are better things to focus on than getting clearer information regarding two men who let there disagreements be known to each other.

The case is crap. The charge is crap. And now Officers are in arms against each other over it. Sans case there remains an atmosphere within the department of "gotchya-isms" by the brass and left over scum sucker hires from RoMo period.

Worthless command staff is a product of RoMo, of that we can all agree. Now what can be done about it? Follow the money..... For the settlement, yeah sure. But everyone knows about that. Reporters need new things for the gnats to gaze at for the next few hours. This case is done. No you can't tell what a jury is going to decide, but you can sure tell a good case when you hear one. THE DEFENSE HAS WON.

What money will then leave the hands of the Department/City. It better be a lot. Raises were out the window anyway. Putney is chasing the tiger with his bookkeeping.

Everybody encourage the citizens to take a close look at CMPD accounts from RoMo to today and you will find numbers that just don't make sense.

Anonymous said...

Just a few thoughts to chew on while this circus wraps up...

I'm curious, what are we as officers going to do when Kerrick is found not guilty?

If the riots occur as the management (not leadership) is planning for, will we all fall into lock-step and follow the orders of the same management (again, not leadership) that hung Kerrick out to dry on this criminal charge?

We owe it to the citizens of Charlotte to protect peaceful protestors and innocent bystanders. But, when that mass arrest order goes out will we follow blindly like good sheep or sit on our hands as a collective?

After that, how will we address the issue of animosity towards the officers, detectives and management (once again, not leadership) that threw him to the wolves from the witness box in court?

Strange times are on the horizon at CMPD...

Anonymous said...

What bothers me the most about the media coverage of this case, is how they report that Ferrell was seeking help. Has there been anyone that has provided this as a FACT instead of an ASSUMPTION?

I thought the media was supposed to report facts?

Anonymous said...

FYI: it's CMPD Detective Edward Morales and Sgt. Susan Manassah that are actively assisting the AG's office in this witch hunt. I have noticed that the SBI which was put in charge of and finished this investigation is nowhere to be seen. They need to be shunned at the very least. Disgraceful. I guess no one remembers Oct 5, 1993.

Anonymous said...

I guess they are on an island with campagna? No way 12 jurors will agree to convict - mistrial coming.

Anonymous said...

CMPD Detective Edward Morales and Sgt. Susan Manassah that are actively assisting the AG's office

I really don't understand their true motivation. What's in it for them? Surely they saw the same dash cam video we all saw. Surely they heard the testimonies of both Kerrick and Little, right? Surely they knew what training was like? Surely they've done some FATS training themselves and understand shoot/don't shoot scenarios and how quickly a decision must be made? What did they miss?

Won't they be totally ostracized by the entire department? (Except perhaps command staff?)
And speaking of being ostracized- what was Campagna thinking?

Anonymous said...

maybe the AG thinks prosecuting this case will help him get into the governors office, and maybe those actively assisting think it will give them a direct in with the governor if he can get elected.

jeff a. taylor said...

Pay very close attention to the instructions the judge gives the jury. The entire NC judiciary has to be hopping mad about this case and seeking a way out. We won't know that might be until we hear those instructions.

Anonymous said...

Can someone confirm that ALL CMPD Captains came to roll calls and said that Ferrell pulled up his shirt and showed the officers that he was not armed. I did not see that in the video. The Captains that said this should also be put on that list of those that followed RoMo's attempt to throw one of his own under the bus. I guess since that did not work the those Captains should run away like coward too.

Anonymous said...

We were told that "it was clear on the video (referring to the DMVR) that Kerrick was in the wrong - no questions asked". We were told it was clear that the suspect did not have a weapon. We were told many lies about this case. Guess the yellow-bellied dipsticks that run CMPD really thought we'd all just swallow those lies hook, line, and sinker. Only a fool would have believe them. It cast a lot of doubt in many of our minds because of how fast they moved to arrest Officer Kerrick and because they felt it was necessary to meet with all the rank and file and tell us the "facts" and explain their actions.

Anonymous said...

It surprises me that no one has quit over this.

Seriously. Now that you know that if you find yourself in a position where you're forced to shoot an unarmed man (in self defense) and that unarmed man happens to be black, your life will be ruined even if it was justified. Regardless of innocence. You don't get to pick and choose which situations you respond to do you?

why stay with such high risks?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have any statements in writing from Captains or anyone else stating "it was clear from the video" or other similar statements? Also, anything about Ferrell "looking for help" ? The UPOR keeps reporting Ferrell was looking for help, but there has been NO EVIDENCE that he was doing that.

anonymity guaranteed:
outlawjournalist@hushmail.com

Someone is dead. Others could have been dead. CMPD keeps lying about it. Why?
Training, hiring, standards, management, Directives, Internal Affairs and a long-standing pattern of covering up other crimes seems to have led to this charge to get them off the hook. It's pretty easy to verify what the training standard is. Even if Kerrick should not have pulled his gun and pulled the trigger (not saying that is true) there is good evidence to show he did what he was TRAINED to do it under these circumstances. Is incompetence on the part of Chief & Trainers going to keep affecting all of our safety? Risk lives? Take lives? DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!

That liability belongs to the City Manager who knowingly covered up crimes the Chief covered up, probably after informing City Council. THAT is why they settled and did it in the timing they did--to cover themselves on our dime.

Andrew Murray ducked his responsibility, too.

A toady like Campagna who has done many unethical things, including soliciting trainers to make cheat sheets to help the pitiful, lying Chief manage to pass his BLET just before expiring AFTER A YEAR he could have passed it... (SEE CEDARPOST STORY ABOUT THIS--SEARCH CAMPAGNA) that's not a guy I'd trust on the witness stand for the prosecution to say CMPD did nothing wrong.