A civil lawsuit against CMPD officer Randall Kerrick is on hold for sixty days while his criminal trial proceeds. U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen made that decision Tuesday in response to a request by the city of Charlotte. The civil suit was filed by the family of 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell who was fatally shot ten times by Kerrick in September. Ferrell was unarmed.
There is one exception. The judge said the lawyer representing Ferrell's family will be allowed to interview the two police officers who were with Kerrick during the night of the shooting. The city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and CMPD chief Rodney Monroe are also included in the civil lawsuit.
CMPD charged Kerrick with voluntary manslaughter less than 24 hours after the shooting. He was indicted by a Mecklenburg County grand jury in late January.