For city, settlement about more than money

From the start, the City of Charlotte’s actions surrounding the Jonathan Ferrell shooting have sent a clear and consistent message about what officials believe happened on that tragic September 2013 night.

Shortly after an unarmed Ferrell was shot by Officer Randall Kerrick, Police Chief Rodney Monroe and city officials decided to arrest Kerrick and charge him with voluntary manslaughter. Last fall, the City Council and City Manager Ron Carlee decided to stop paying Kerrick’s legal costs.

So the city’s announcement Thursday that it is settling with Ferrell’s family is not surprising. The amount of the settlement – $2.25 million – might be.

The figure, which was unanimously approved by the council members, is more than three times higher than the $700,000 the city paid last year to the family of a cellphone tower repairman fatally shot by CMPD in 2006. It’s more than four times higher than the $500,000 a federal jury awarded this year to the family of a Charlotte man who died after being hit twice with a police taser.

There are many calculations that go into settlements such as these. Among them, of course, are financial considerations. It’s likely the city concluded that if Kerrick were found guilty in a trial scheduled to begin July 20, the family might be awarded more than the $2.2 million, given a recent, nationwide sensitivity to police shootings.

There’s another, perhaps larger, calculation. In remarks made during the announcement of the settlement Thursday, Charlotte Mayor Dan Clodfelter noted that city leaders, including Monroe, have spent countless hours talking with community members about the relationship they have with police.

“The events surrounding this case have prompted an open, candid and wide-ranging community dialogue about difficult issues...” Clodfelter said. “We also know it is imperative that these tough conversations continue if we are to remain a united community.”

Contrast those remarks – and the city and CMPD’s actions – with the defensive posture other cities have taken with incidents involving police.

There’s no way to be certain that Charlotte’s approach to the Ferrell case has helped avoid the public turmoil that’s followed police shootings elsewhere. But if city officials believe an officer acted with unreasonable force, the best thing to protect is the relationship you have with the communities involved.

“We all need each other,” Clodfelter said Thursday.

His actions, along with council members’ and Monroe’s, have backed those words up.

This story was originally published May 15, 2015 at 3:57 PM with the headline "For city, settlement about more than money."