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| US officer Randall Kerrick 'justified' in shooting Jonathan Ferrell | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The defence lawyer for a North Carolina police officer charged in the shooting death of an unarmed car accident victim has said his actions were justified. | |
| Officer Randall Kerrick, 27, reportedly shot Jonathan Ferrell 10 times after responding to a report of a break-in early on Saturday morning. | |
| Mr Ferrell, 24, had crashed his car and sought help at a nearby house. | Mr Ferrell, 24, had crashed his car and sought help at a nearby house. |
| His family suggested his race - he was black - contributed to the white officer's response. | His family suggested his race - he was black - contributed to the white officer's response. |
| Mr Kerrick, 27, did not appear in court on Tuesday for the first hearing on a charge of voluntary manslaughter. | |
| After the hearing, defence attorney Michael Greene the officer's actions "were justified on the night in question", but declined to take questions. | |
| 'Inappropriate' action | |
| Mr Ferrell's car went off the road in a suburban neighbourhood about 15 miles (24km) from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, at around 2:30 local time (6:30 GMT) on 14 September. | Mr Ferrell's car went off the road in a suburban neighbourhood about 15 miles (24km) from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, at around 2:30 local time (6:30 GMT) on 14 September. |
| The former Florida A&M University football player walked to the closest house he could see and started "banging on the door viciously", police Chief Rodney Monroe said, according to the Associated Press. | The former Florida A&M University football player walked to the closest house he could see and started "banging on the door viciously", police Chief Rodney Monroe said, according to the Associated Press. |
| Police released what they said was a recording of the householder's emergency call in which she pleads for officers to hurry because she believes someone is breaking in. | |
| During the call, the unidentified woman repeats: "Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" She says the man has knocked on her door and is "in my front yard yelling". | |
| The female occupant of the home answered the door, believing it to be her husband. When she saw Mr Ferrell, she called the police. | The female occupant of the home answered the door, believing it to be her husband. When she saw Mr Ferrell, she called the police. |
| The officers found Mr Ferrell on a dead-end road. He reportedly ran at them, and they attempted to stop him with a stun gun, police said. | The officers found Mr Ferrell on a dead-end road. He reportedly ran at them, and they attempted to stop him with a stun gun, police said. |
| Mr Ferrell is said to have continued running at Mr Kerrick, who then shot at him 12 times, striking him 10 times, police said, according to the Charlotte Observer. | Mr Ferrell is said to have continued running at Mr Kerrick, who then shot at him 12 times, striking him 10 times, police said, according to the Charlotte Observer. |
| He died at the scene. | He died at the scene. |
| The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organisation, and the Ferrell family's lawyer, Chris Chestnut, have questioned the role race played in the shooting. | |
| "The officer is white, Mr Ferrell is black... To shoot first and ask questions later is not an appropriate action for a police officer," Mr Chestnut said on Monday. | |