Former college fottball player seeking help, shot by cops

24 year old Jonathan Ferrell was fatally shot by Charlotte Police Saturday morning between 2:45 am and 3:15 am.

Full story Charlotte Observer

After receiving a call from a resident, that a 'unknown man' was knocking at their door, police responded and were dispatched to scene, when they arrived, man who fit description of 911 call 'allegedly' charged them.
One of the officers pulled out gun, it jammed, another officer tried to use taser, it to misfired, so 3rd officer, while retreating, shot Mr Ferrell, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.



Later investigation discovered that Mr Ferrell had been in a bad car accident, and was a former football player at Florida A&M...



Later investigation also determined more than likely, do to the severity of vehicle crash, that Mr Ferrell was probably seeking help.

The officer who shot Mr Ferrell has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is in police custody.

Now my take on this situation.

Here's what the Charlotte Police Department did right...

1. They acted immediately, once it was determined that officer discharged gun unlawfully, the Charlotte PD acted immediately and swiftly in arresting the violating officer.

They arrested him and charged him with a crime. Now it is up to the courts to decide the rest.

That was a very smart move on their part, to help squelch any community anger...expecially after the whole Zimmerman fiasco.

As such there's really not much else the Police can do.
As in past cases, people don't so much get mad at crime, as they do what happens after the crime. If a reasonable person feels justice has been carried out after a crime, than that reasonable person usually remains calm, or calmer than they would had justice not been done.

Anger, collective anger, tends to not build and dissipates much quicker when community feels justice has been done.
Cause in a case like this, there's no one really to focus anger on accept the officer who over reacted, and he's now on paid leave and behind bars...as such there's really nothing left to do except let the system play out.

I'm sure though, as news of this story spreads on Monday, there will still be some who'll use this story as a rallying point or cry for 'justice'...but momentum won't really be there cause 'justice' has already been served, or at least the process has already begun.

Short of changing human nature, incidents like this (sadly) will keep occurring until the end of time, or at least mans time.

And is why a system of law, order and justice is so important, cause it keeps the general population from over reacting and creating mayhem on the streets.

I know the frailty of man, and frailty is what made that officer over react the way they did.
Negative images fed into their mind since childhood about black males, expcially large ones out on the streets late at night.

Sadly though, this large man was simply seeking help after being involved in devastating car crash.

Also what seperates this story from the Z-man one, is there were witnesses.
If there had been no witnesses, fellow officers there to observe, no telling how the report would of been written.

But even with witnesses, the report is still written in a way that sets the victim up as being the 'bad guy', with descriptive words such as 'charged officers'...

Really?

Maybe he was 'stumbling towards officers while in a daze'...after all had just been involved in terrible crash.
Maybe he was wounded, in shock, loosing blood, had a concusion ect.

If he had been a young white teen, I'm sure outcome would of been different.

One the other hand knowing the social climate of these times, It probably wasn't the smartest thing for Mr Ferrell to go knocking on some ones door at 2:30 am.

I mean in all honesty if someone started pounding on my door at 2:30 am...I'd be a little rattled to, most would.

Somewhere in this tragedy, the whole truth is not being told.
The home owner panicked, probably did not hear Mr Ferrell's words or cry for help.
It's what happens when fear takes over, we tend to block everything out accept our own narrative.

When we're fearful, we stop listening to what the other person or party, is trying to say, and all communications break down.

Nothing will be learned from this incident...nothing at all...there'll be a few more press conferences, it will make the news on Monday...and then it will occur again, somewhere...some one else will get shot by an officer unjustifiably...

Unfortunately all the training in the world just can't seem to over come human frailty, not even of those sworn to protect. They to are frail like the rest of use.

I will continue to follow this story as it develops.