NPR Embedded: Police Videos On Trial

Police shootings have been all over the news these past few years. More specifically, videos of police shootings are all over our newsfeeds, sometimes leading to protests, charges, trials, investigations by the Justice Department – and even changes in police policy.

Most would say we’re better off with these events getting captured on video. It gives us the ability to see what happened. Right? The problem is that while these videos give us something to hold onto, they don’t give us everything. And they can raise more questions than they answer.

One such case is the story of Jonathan Ferrell, an unarmed black man shot to death by a white police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina. His story is at the heart of our evening of interactive storytelling.

Award-winning journalist Kelly McEvers, host of NPR’s Embedded and All Things Considered, digs into what happened the night of Farrell’s death, the charges that resulted for the police officer, Randal “Wes” Kerrick, the arguments made at Kerrick’s trial, and what Ferrell’s death means in a broader context.

This interactive live podcast show combines audio, visual, performance and you. McEvers will present the facts and the arguments before putting you in the juror’s seat to arrive at your own verdict: Guilty or innocent?

Then McEvers will speak with special guest Connie Rice about policing, police videos and how we can expect cases like Jonathan Ferrell’s to be tried in the future.

The night will wrap with an audience Q&A.

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Trigger warning: our show will feature a Dashcam video from the Charlotte Police Department of Jonathan Ferrell’s shooting. Gunshots can be heard, although the shooting happens off camera.