At around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell was involved in a car accident and walked to the nearest home for help. The woman living in the home was alarmed and dialed the police.
Soon after, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Randall “Wes” Kerrick and two other police officers arrived. Kerrick fired 12 rounds at Ferrell, hitting him 10 times. Eight rounds were fired while Ferrell was on the ground.
That night, Ferrell took his last breath.
Nearly seven years later, Willie Ferrell, Jonathan Ferrell's brother, said that the country must come together at every juncture to make a change.
“We get to the point where we’ve seen it so much — from everything that has been happening now, my brother’s situation to the situations in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” Willie Ferrell said.
For Willie Ferrell, the world changed in a flash when his brother died.
For nearly two years, the Ferrell family awaited what the final decision would be for Kerrick. He faced a voluntary manslaughter charge, and the family went to court every day of the trial. They called for peace after the judge declared a mistrial.
Following that mistrial, the attorney general dropped the charges against Kerrick. Without any further legal recourse, the family announced they would push for peace through the Justice for Jonathan Foundation.
“The African American race has been oppressed for so long, and a lot of the millennials are tired of it,” Willie Ferrell said.
Protests across the county over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of the Minneapolis police, have rekindled the conversation of race relations and social justice in America.
The officer who arrested Floyd, Derek Chauvin, was fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The three other officers involved in Floyd’s death were also fired, but no charges have been filed against them at this point.
“People of color have to take action. Black people have to take action and white America has to take action against those who are oppressing the people,” Willie Ferrell said.
He said that the country needs to stop thinking that it's bad to be a cop, on a jury or a government official and get into the system to help change from within.
Jonathan Ferrell's death has and will continue to impact Willie Ferrell’s life, but he is using his voice to embrace the reality of his brother’s unforeseen tragedy.
“We must have everybody coming together from every angle to make a change,” Willie Ferrell said.
He said that he tries to emulate Jonathan Ferrell’s life by being a giving and loving man, a peacemaker.
“You must step in and try to intervene when you see someone being done wrong,” he said. “Seek justice.”
When Willie Ferrell saw the video of Floyd, it was another reminder that his mission is far from over.
“We're tired of doing the marches. We're tired of being unheard,” Willie Ferrell said. “I think it is society that has to step up to be a part of this.”
While the years have passed, Willie Ferrell remains an advocate for healthy conversations and continues to uplift children in his Florida community.
However, Willie Ferrell believes there is still a long way to go to heal the country when it comes to equality and police-community relations. He said more positive interactions between police, children and community is a way to begin, but consistency is key.
He would like to begin a program in Florida that is similar to the Cops and Barbers program in Charlotte. Cops and Barbers is a scholarship-buddy program in which qualifying students receive a scholarship to attend barber school, participate in volunteer activities and peer-to-peer police academy cadet partnerships.
“The justice system does not serve African Americans well,” he said, “It can easily change if the people governing people make a decision do the right thing. It will make the ancestors feel good about it and will make our children proud. It would make a change in the world.”
If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, public affairs manager at WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/Telemundo Charlotte, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com.
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