A North Carolina judge declared a mistrial Friday after a jury deadlocked in the case of a white police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of an unarmed black man.
It followed four days of deliberations. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer Randall Kerrick had faced up to 11 years in prison.
Prosecutors said the 29-year-old Kerrick used deadly force when he shot and killed Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013. Two officers with Kerrick didn't fire their guns.
But Kerrick's attorneys said the officer feared for his life when he shot and killed Ferrell while responding to a breaking-and-entering call.
The case was one of several that have raised questions about police use of deadly force against black men.
Police say Ferrell wrecked his car on the morning of Sept. 14, 2013, went to a nearby house and banged on the door, apparently for help. The resident inside the home called police, and the officers responded.
Investigators say one officer deployed his Taser without apparent effect on Ferrell before Kerrick fired 12 shots, 10 of which hit him.
Kerrick testified that he repeatedly fired because Ferrell kept charging at him and he didn't think his weapon was even working.
The Ferrell family has already settled a lawsuit with the city of Charlotte, receiving $2.25 million.
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