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WFAE's coverage of the case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Randall Kerrick charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Jonathan Ferrell. The court case ended in a mistrial.

Kerrick Defense Expected To Present DNA Evidence In Third Week Of Testimony

Charlotte Observer

Defense attorneys will continue presenting their case Monday in the voluntary manslaughter trial of Randall Kerrick. This is the third week of testimony in the trial of the CMPD officer who shot and killed Jonathan Ferrell in 2013. WFAE’s Duncan McFadyen reports the defense is likely to present DNA evidence.

In their opening arguments, defense attorneys said they would present evidence that Ferrell’s DNA was on Kerrick’s gun and that Kerrick’s DNA was under Ferrell’s fingernails. Kerrick testified last week that Ferrell charged at him after another officer’s Taser missed Ferrell and that he feared the man would grab his gun. Prosecutors pointed out inconsistencies between Kerrick’s testimony and the statement he gave police a few hours after the incident, including how far away Kerrick says Ferrell was from him when he started shooting.

The defense’s other witnesses last week included the CMPD officers who got to the scene right after the shooting as well as those who investigated the incident. Attorneys on both sides named more than 200 potential witnesses. They haven’t said how many of those people will testify.