Grand jury asks for lesser charge in shooting case of Randall Kerrick CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A North Carolina grand jury declined to indict a police officer accused of voluntary manslaughter, asking for a lesser charge, court documents said. The grand jury in the case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Kerrick requested, in a hand-written note by the grand jury foreperson, that prosecutors charge Kerrick with a lesser crime Tuesday. The jury felt the evidence presented against him did not support the manslaughter charge, the Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday. Kerrick was charged in the September shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell, 24, who was unarmed. Police said Kerrick fired 12 shots at Ferrell with his .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, 10 of which struck Ferrell. On the night of the shooting, Ferrell wrecked his car and was apparently seeking help when Kerrick and two other officers responded to a call by a resident frightened by Ferrell pounding on her door. A video of the moments before the shooting showed Ferrell refusing police orders to stop, Kerrick lawyer George Laughrun said. State Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a statement, after the grand jury's decision was made public, the case is not closed, citing the absence of grand jury members Tuesday. "It would be in the best interests of justice to resubmit this case to a full grand jury, which we plan to do as soon as possible," Cooper said. Cooper spokeswoman Noelle Talley said prosecutors were surprised to see some grand jury members were not present. Normally 18 members comprise a grand jury in North Carolina, and 12 votes are needed for an indictment, the newspaper said. What they [the grand jury] decided was that officer Randall Kerrick did his job. Regretfully it cost the life of Jonathan Ferrell, but he did his job," Laughrun said.