This Day in History

Sept. 14, 2013: Jonathan Ferrell Killed by Police

Time Periods: 2001-
Themes: African American, Racism & Racial Identity

Jonathan Ferrell wearing his football jersey in an undated photo provided by Florida A&M University. Ferrell was a former safety for the Florida A&M Rattlers football team.

On Sept. 14, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell was shot and killed by a Charlotte, North Carolina police officer while seeking help after being involved in a car accident. When he went to a nearby home seeking assistance, the owner of the home didn’t call for an ambulance. Instead, they called the police, reporting a home burglary in process.

When the police arrived, Ferrell approached them and was tased, then shot 10 times, dying at the scene.

A CodeSwitch (NPR) editorial notes that “Jonathan Ferrell worked two jobs, planned to return to college and marry the fiancée he followed to our city.”

Read more in “Jonathan Ferrell, Former Football Player, Killed by Police After Seeking Help Following Car Wreck: The death of 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell, former Florida A&M safety, demands our attention” in The Nation by Dave Zirin.