Sunday, August 16, 2015

How Jonathan Ferrell Became a Low Impact Martyr

With events (riots and protests) in Ferguson and Baltimore as a back drop, many including CMPD Command Staff have been expecting major protests and disturbances surrounding the Kerrick trial and verdict.

You can never really predict what a jury will decide much less how the general public with interpret the verdict, but in the court of public opinion Jonathan Ferrell has been deemed a "low impact martyr".

It's hard to pin point the reason for the shift in the way people viewed his death, perhaps it was the video that clearly showed him on the attack, maybe it was his pounding on someone's door at 3 am, maybe the City of Charlotte's payment of $2.25 million to his parents or the shocking let down of the long awaited video itself. 

But whatever the reason, the Ferguson style drama that the national media has been expecting has failed to materialize. 
 
In the 2 years since Jonathan Ferrell was killed, no memorial of candles, flowers and teddy bears has cropped up on Reedy Creek Pool Drive.

Other than the #JonathanFerrell hash tag there hasn't been so much as a real social media presence nor has #JusticForJonathan ever trended on twitter in fact it hasn't even emerged at least to the level that #JusticeForTravon or #HandsUpDontShoot  and the troubling #BlackLivesMatter.

 

The death of Jonathan Ferrell is tragic and needless. We will never understand what really happened the morning of September 14, 2013. Perhaps it is better that way. Those who support the Police see it as if he only had obeyed the orders of the police while those who see another young black man gunned down by a white officer as just one more body placed in a grave due to excessive force.But there is no public outcry no rage or anger.

Where are the bus loads of protesters and where are the pre paid hotel rooms? Perhaps the riots are yet to come? Or, maybe the occupy group finds it hard to relate to someone who is not like Freddie Gray, or Mike Brown.  

Jonathan Ferrell by all accounts was not a "thug" or gang banger nor did he seem run with the wrong crowd. Unknown to police before his 3 am encounter perhaps Jonathan Ferrell was just too white, too clean cut to be that son that president Obama would have had.

The bottom line, as much as the main stream media tries, the death of Jonathan Ferrell wasn't a black vs white issue. The racial overtones of Baltimore are absent, the flames of Ferguson nonexistent. 

More on the Kerrick Trial

Reasonable doubt was achieved the minute the video was played. Then Officer Little told the jury that until that night he never needed to draw his taser, his statements backed up with words like crazy eyes and zombie like, the sum of which equals self defense with lethal force being Kerrick's only option.
 
6 seconds from the time Kerrick's door opens until the first shot. Not enough time to fully process what is happening, so this whole trial has been a sham effort to Monday morning quarterback the 6 seconds. 

But you can't take a time out to acess the situation, police work is real time, there is no reviewing the play on the sidelines to make sure the penalty is correct.

We will never know what Jonthan Ferrell was thinking early that morning in September when he charged Officer Kerrick, but it seems plausible the young man had reached the point of total despair. 

Could it be that Jonathan Ferrell was thinking, "nothing is going my way and now I've totaled my girl friend's car, any chance of getting back with her is gone, the racist white woman up the street thinks I'm a rapist and now the cops are going to shoot me."

Maybe that's why he went all in, he couldn't hold back his anger and rage.

But leading up to the events on Reedy Creek Pool Drive, Randall "Wes" Kerrick was also woefully under prepared to deal with the likes of Jonathan Ferrell. The training he received was marginally adequate at best, the result of Chief Monroe having other priorities and training cut backs. The trial has also exposed that the department is lost in a sea of conflicting training methods, department SOPs and directives. 

Hopefully Charlotte can step back from thus tragic encounter and determine what really had been going on at CMPD, why Chief Monroe was so quick to charge Kerrick, and "retired" just weeks before this trial started. 

There are dozens of cases each year where an officer kills what turned out to be an unarmed citizen. Take the recent case of a UNC Chapel Hill Junior and the local police Office who shot him. He was armed only with an iPhone. He had even call 911 to explain he was drunk, that he had a gun in the car. The officer was not charged.

CP Calls It as an acquittal. AAG Postell's desperate tactics will not sway the jury.  


31 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last I heard its impossible to walk around without a spinal cord. The white shirts who played along with the Monroe/Marion Barry Police Department please turn in your uniforms for business suits. How do you look at yourself in the mirror? When you leave the Department your known as Mr. or Mrs. No one gives a shit. But that young mans life is ruined no matter what the outcome. The whole its a PR issue is bullshit. There will be another officer that will be thrown under the bus after this over. Shame on you and please turn your badges in.

Anonymous said...

“There are two kinds of truth. There are real truths, and there are made up truths. [On his arrest for drug use]”

Marion Barry quote

You can tell where Rodney came from. Look up Marion Barry quotes and read them. Who does it sound like?

Anonymous said...

“There are two kinds of truth. There are real truths, and there are made up truths. [On his arrest for drug use]”

Marion Barry quote

Read Marion Barry funny quotes. Sound like someone you know?

Anonymous said...

All right all you white folks lets get out there and riot after this acquittal comes in! Well actually mistrial. The black females are going to hang the jury.

Anonymous said...

Get used to it CMPD. There's a black detective who is a buddy and frat brother of Putney who was supposed to be written up for lying and removed from his current position since he can't testify in court anymore. Putney quashed it and had the IA record of it removed. Hopefully he never has to respond to any important stuff and the bad guy gets life not death again (Like Fant)

Anonymous said...

You said they were going to hang the jury.

Das racisst....

Anonymous said...

The Da's office can go fuck themselves. That stupid bitch called Little and every officer that wasn't called by the prosecution a liar.

Anonymous said...

As being recently retired, I have to say how ashamed I am of the "brass" of this formerly distinguished Police Department. I was working at the PD when this happened and attended a meeting that was held shortly after the arrest of Officer Kerrick. The entire incident, was not accurately reported in that meeting...I would go so far as to claim the "brass" LIED to the troops. This young officer should have never been charged based on the evidence shown in court. Thanks to ROMO, this department may never recover from his corrupt administration, as many of the people he put in command positions will continue on in his footsteps.
I just hope that all the young officers will learn from this and know the command staff will step all over them for their "gain" or to cover up the truth to protect themselves. If the command staff had any morals they would turn in their badges and just quit...forget about retirement...they don't deserve it!!

Anonymous said...

I love my brothers in blue (not white), but for years I've heard the complaints and read the blogs about the despicable actions of our command staff, and yet, we continuously fail to DO anything about it. The way I see it, this is the perfect time for a flu pandemic. Guilty, I'm just too sick to come to work. Not guilty, I'm just scared sick of what happened in Baltimore knowing I can't properly police under this command staff. Anyone else have the stones?

Anonymous said...

Lying and calling in sick is what you call having the stones?

How about putting out proof of the corruption, money-shifting (also known as stealing and fraud), bad hiring, covering up IA investigations, keeping liars on the force and lying about it in turn, lying to the troops about Kerrick and plenty of others (remember when someone leaked the Marcus Jackson information, proving Monroe LIED about not knowing?), giving illegal orders, giving unconstitutional orders, and more?

That shouldn't require any more courage than leaving your house every day. Want the power to hold a gun and use it? Suck it up and put the evidence out instead of going along with the corruption.

QUIT WHINING. QUIT YOUR SELF-PRESERVATION. PUT OUT EVIDENCE.


Anonymous said...

2:01 agreed- either way, guilty or non, officers will have a target painted on their backs. Guilty means command staff answers to mob rule and the pc police, not guilty means "no justice" until some kid offs an officer on a zone check.

Either way the patrol officer is infinitely screwed.

Anonymous said...

I like your ideas, but you miss my main point (because I didn't make it very well). There are LOTS of examples of things RoMo did that were illegal, unethical, in violation of State BLET standards, etc., and things our current command staff continue to do. My point is that until we act together, as a group, media, city council, and our communities won't take note. They can ignore the biased personnel assignments, racists promotional processes, budget discrepancies, hire-back policy violations, etc. because it doesn't affect them directly; hence, they don't really care. But if 80% of the police department fail to show up for work, or if there is a work slow-down, they have to take notice. It at least starts the conversation about all the underlying problems that continue to get swept...no real raises, race-based hiring practices, race-based selection processes for specialized assignments, hire back practices that violate city policy, cover-ups, selective enforcement of policies..and on and on.

Anonymous said...

Both of you make good points, but I too see how so many want change but no one is willing to stick his/her neck out.

You may create positive change and kill your CMPD career too. That doesn't mean you have stones...it means having integrity and showing your badge isn't broken.

If you have evidence, either pass it to the media, MCSO, SBI, or arrest the officer(s) in question yourself.

Pick one and do it now.

Will you lose your job doing this? Maybe. But if this keeps you at bay you don't deserve the job anyways.

Anonymous said...

3;40 Yes.

Anonymous said...

What evidence does who want or need in regards to Putney covering for his friends and frat brothers? Who is going to file the FOIA request for the IA records that have been removed? The only evidence left is the interviewing of those in IA and the chain where this originated. But, since they are all "white racists" who do you turn to? Is Putney going to answer any questions from anyone about this? No. Maybe the State Standards Commission could step in. Again, the record is gone. US Attorney's Office? Meck DA's office? No media outlet cares. So again I say... who?

Anonymous said...

I think what you're saying is if you are complaining that the brass never steps up and does what is right, but you yourself won't step up and do what is right then maybe you are both a hypocrite and a coward.

Anonymous said...

We are so mis-managed by this self-serving careerist command staff, it's no wonder proactive policing is a thing of the past. It's all to the detriment of the city and our citizens will suffer but there is no alternative. Maybe one day this will pass, but not anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Who? CP, Outlaw, Larson, Anton, Cityynewswatch....i have seen plenty of contact points on here. SBI, EEOC, MCSO. Depends on the info you have

It is easy to say, no one cares, I won't bother.

Do something...big or small. Do Something.

Depends on the info

Anonymous said...

If some of us have proof....printed paper proof who and how do we present it in a way that our butts are not singled out and fired??
Give us a way to turn over evidence where we can remain anonymous without fear and retribution. We still have families to support and bills to pay. I get the integrity and noble part but at the end of the day who will support our family's? You?

The way electronic communications can be tracked by our own department it would be impossible to send anything via email,text, or social media. They have Officers scouring our Facebook pages for crying out loud. It makes me leery to even say anything on here.

I guess I'll wait for the phone call from IA and the threats and posturing to begin. We will see....

Anonymous said...

Come on. That's bull and you know it. If you came forward the CS board wouldn't uphold that firing..
If you have proof come forward otherwise shut your mouth and stop speculating

Anonymous said...

9:01, I get the issue over bills, families and those responsibilities. It makes it tough.

The type of information one has will always dictate the methods they can employ to safely share it.

If it is "need to know" information and you are one of five that knows it, then you're probably going to be discovered. That is just a hypothetical example. If you are one of 50, your perspective may change. (second hypothetical example). Make sure your actions and choices are legal.

Anonymous said...

McCartney's door was dented? It sounds to me like the marijuana might have been laced with something that put Ferrell in a rage. He could have wrecked his car intentionally in a rage. How do we know he didn't? It doesn't make sense to me that he was looking for help, but kicked the door so hard it dented. It seems like he was looking for someone to beat the crap out of.

Anonymous said...

9:01
Send to outlawjournalist@hushmail.com
You can use an anonymous, encrypted email if you like. I will not ever reveal your name even if you tell me.
You can black out names if necessary. I can track down the source and outcome of information without using it directly. And I WON'T reveal who you are. I can get other surrounding information in order to publish but need the original details to do it. It will be enough. Please start the process. ROMO is sitting pretty with our pension money and who knows how much other money acquired as he screwed over the officers and people of Charlotte. And his upper-level (pay-wise) people are in place for how many more years? Don't you want an honest department that spends money to keep police and citizens safe, not to line the pockets of a chosen few? Don't you want to have the cooperation and respect police officers used to have instead of the cloud of mistrust that has been heaved onto all the department, deserved or not? Think about your safety if nothing else.

Pittinger is being investigated. Foxx is being investigated. Cannon is in prison, though we haven't been allowed to know yet who the original source of the investigation was. This is an especially good time. It's possible to clean things up. Trust.

I WILL NOT reveal the names or ranks or source of anyone--directly or indirectly by publishing something that someone could deduce the source--no matter what. Rather sit in jail.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Outlaw. I mentioned to 9:01 in a lost post there are many folks in the community that he can reach out to, including you.

You are also correct to point out the iron is hot right now

A

Anonymous said...

Ok we'll wishers. Look at Batimore people. Those Officers got it right. You can't stick it in my ass if I'm sitting on it. But I can still pay my bills, this is a JOB. Go find another job? Try to see what's out there, not much. Let the Sheep call on the Sheep Dogs. But let a few sheep get eaten by the Wolves first. People hate the Sheep Dog until they need one for help. Officers look how the Baltimore cops responded to the way they were backed by their staff. And New York. They stop righting tickets and the City lost a lot of money. You don't need to call in sick,just do nothing. Better then going to jail. This time next year think where you be. And I love my 30 yr state pension by the way. It's well worth the trip to get one. But your leaders are not going to help you get there.

Anonymous said...

Okay outlaw. How you going to get them to say or do anything? Do you have subpoena power? No. Does anyone care what you say or think or write? No. Call Putney's secretary and tell her you would like to speak with him concerning Doug's truthfulness complaint he quashed. After he won't talk with you go next door and ask Roz to speak with you. She will say it's a personnel issue. Go 2 doors over and ask LeAnn. She will say the same. Then you can cross the hall and ask Judy who will say it's a personnel issue get out of my office. Then you can go to the elevator and leave with nothing more gained than you have now. But good luck anyway!!

Anonymous said...

Outlaw is probably Rob or another HQ Pogue looking for the next target. I would rather meet you face to face in a location of my choosing!

CMPD DIV 12 said...

Two weeks notice in. After 15 years. I'm out! Done.
You all at the LEC can kiss this patrol officers ass

Anonymous said...

Hi. Not Rob. Wouldn't spit on him if he were on fire. Or maybe I would, but it would be hard to stop spitting when necessary, even if my ethics and morals kicked in to help someone no matter how low and horrible a human being I believe them to be. Someone who takes money to give out wrong "information" for the purpose of covering the asses of liars and criminals is not on my list of people I respect or care for. Let him call RoMo to bail him out--Rodney's an upstanding person with pure motives to serve the public, right?

Whatever the jury decides in the Kerrick/Ferrell case, it is clear CMPD doesn't have any idea what they are training people to do, how much training is necessary, or how to tell the truth. And peoples' lives are being destroyed and/or ended instead of fixing the massive problems caused by the administrators. THAT is why they charged Kerrick immediately and why they settled with the family before the trial started. To wash their hands of what they know to be their own fault. To hide the incredible mess of incompetence and lying in the City and CMPD.

Write and I will work out a way to talk with you if that's what you want to do.
Maybe CMPD DIV 12 would do fellow officers a favor and start the ball rolling.
Also, 4:53, I understand your frustration. You're right about doing those things--but specific information can be contradicted and backed up. And a pattern of covering up information (ex: Judy Emken) can be exposed. Obstruction and knowingly covering up a pattern of lying are worthy of investigation.

CMPD DIV 12 said...

The truth is they will keep cranking out recruits at the rookie factory. The mission statement should read we will replace you rather then value you. The department has the responsibility to make good officers but they rather replace them. I know this. It's not a secret that I am just a drop in the bucket that won't be missed by anyone but my brothers. They will never consider that they treat patrol officers as anything but expendable. It doesn't make them accountable just indifferent. Different policy's for different officers.

000 said...

Do NOT forget that Putney was THERE and part of the Mini Investigation and the roadrunner flattening of Officer Kerrick. Now that ROMO flew the coop, DON'T go feeling sorry for his successor as if he was innocently handed this bag of crap. Putney helped fill it! And here he sits in silence.

As for "officers don't know whether or not to trust their command staff" .... As much as you may want to, DON'T. It has been a very,very long time since they've supported you, had your back or even cared about what happens to you! Stand by and protect each other. It's all you've got.