Defense, state spar at Charlotte officer’s trial

Published 1:31 pm Wednesday, August 12, 2015

CHARLOTTE (AP) — The latest on the trial of a white Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed black man seeking help after a crash in September 2013 (all times local):

11 a.m.

Disputes over witnesses and evidence marked the latest round of testimony in the trial of a white Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer accused in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man almost two years ago.

Defense attorneys for Officer Randall Kerrick asked the judge on Wednesday to take the jury to the scene of where Kerrick shot and killed Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013. They argued that none of the 26 witnesses appearing for prosecutors provided any type of context for the space and distances at the scene of the shooting. The judge rejected the motion.

The two sides also argued over police officers testifying for the defense as to what Kerrick and a second officer were told about procedures for using force following a unrelated traffic stop in 2012. They also sparred over a training video that the defense wanted to introduce.

Police Capt. Mike Campagna, who testified that Kerrick should have used non-lethal force in dealing with Ferrell, was asked to leave the courtroom after defense attorneys objected to his being able to listen to witnesses who were not identified as experts, as he was.

The jury spent much of the morning outside of the courtroom instead of hearing testimony.