US officer Randall Kerrick 'justified' in shooting Jonathan Ferrell 17 September 2013 Last updated at 23:43 The defence lawyer for a North Carolina police officer charged in the shooting death of an unarmed car accident victim has said his actions were justified. Officer Randall Kerrick, 27, reportedly shot Jonathan Ferrell 10 times after responding to a report of a break-in early on Saturday morning. Mr Ferrell, 24, had crashed his car and sought help at a nearby house. His family suggested his race - he was black - contributed to the white officer's response. Mr Kerrick, 27, did not appear in court on Tuesday for the first hearing on a charge of voluntary manslaughter. After the hearing, defence attorney Michael Greene the officer's actions "were justified on the night in question," but declined to take questions. 'Inappropriate' action Mr Ferrell's car went off the road in a suburban neighbourhood about 15 miles (24km) from downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, at around 2:30 local time (6:30 GMT) on 14 September. The former Florida A&M University football player walked to the closest house he could see and started "banging on the door viciously," police Chief Rodney Monroe said, according to the Associated Press. Police released what they said was a recording of the householder's emergency call in which she pleads for officers to hurry because she believes someone is breaking in. During the call, the unidentified woman repeats: "Oh, my god! Oh, my god! She says the man has knocked on her door and is "in my front yard yelling." The female occupant of the home answered the door, believing it to be her husband. When she saw Mr Ferrell, she called the police. The officers found Mr Ferrell on a dead-end road. He reportedly ran at them, and they attempted to stop him with a stun gun, police said. Mr Ferrell is said to have continued running at Mr Kerrick, who then shot at him 12 times, striking him 10 times, police said, according to the Charlotte Observer. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organisation, and the Ferrell family's lawyer, Chris Chestnut, have questioned the role race played in the shooting. The officer is white, Mr Ferrell is black... To shoot first and ask questions later is not an appropriate action for a police officer," Mr Chestnut said on Monday.