A former college football player was shot dead by police in Charlotte, N.C. while possibly asking for help after crashing his car, CNN reported.
Jonathan Ferrell, 24, was unarmed when he approached officers on Saturday, but that didn't stop Officer Randall Kerrick from shooting at him several times.
"This is an all-American young man who survived a horrific accident. he is crying for help and is showered with bullets," said Chris Chestnut, attorney for the Ferrell family.
On early Saturday morning, police officers responded to a 911 call from a woman who said someone was repeatedly banging on her front door. When they arrived at the woman's house, officers claim the man who she described started running towards them.
Kerrick fired his gun at Ferrell after another officer's stun gun was "unsuccessful."
Ferrell, a former college football player at Florida A&M University, died at the scene.
Investigators say Ferrell was looking for help after crashing near the woman's house.
"It was a pretty serious accident," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe. Authorities said the crash was so serious that Ferrell had to climb out of the back window to escape.
Kerrick was charged with manslaughter and was released on Sunday after posting $50,000 bond. He was one of three officers on the scene but was the only one to use his gun.
"The evidence revealed that Mr. Ferrell did advance on Officer Kerrick and the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive," police said in a statement. "Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter."
Monroe said at a press conference that "our heart(s) go out to the family" and members of the police force. "This is never something easy."
"Why was this officer even with a badge and having a gun? What are the policies and procedures? What is the training that would allow an officer to act so irrationally, so inhumanely?" the Ferrell family's attorney asked on CNN.
Ferrell's brother, Willie, said his family hopes they can work to prevent similar tragedies from happening.
"We're going to file the necessary legal actions to ensure that we get the answers that this family deserves, that America deserves," Willie Ferrell said. "This was an unwarranted, inhumane shooting."
