CMPD officer Randall Kerrick resigned, effective Oct. 2, and will receive more than $100,000 as part of his separation agreement. Kerrick was suspended from the force after fatally shooting an unarmed African-American man two years ago. His trial ended in a hung jury.
City officials agreed to accept Kerrick’s resignation in a closed session meeting and pay him nearly $113,000. $98,000 of that amount is for back pay from the time Kerrick was suspended the day after the shooting, through his official resignation date. An additional $50,000 will go to the attorney who defended Kerrick’s civil lawsuit.
That case ended with the family of Jonathan Ferrell, the young man Kerrick fatally shot 10 times, receiving $2.25 million from the city. The city did not pay any of Kerrick’s criminal trial attorney fees. The total cost to the city is nearly $180,000 when required social security and retirement fees are added in.
City attorney Bob Hagemann said had Kerrick’s status with CMPD ended up in court, the city would likely have had to the pay the costs included in the separation agreement. He said the agreement releases the city from any future legal claims.
Kerrick’s lengthy trial often divided the city along racial lines. When the 8 to 4 hung jury verdict was reached, there were protests throughout the city. The state attorney general’s office decided against retrying the case, saying they did not believe a different verdict could be reached.
