A grand jury indicted a Charlotte police officer for voluntary manslaughter in the deadly shooting of an unarmed former Florida A&M football player. AP (2)

A grand jury indicted a Charlotte police officer for voluntary manslaughter Monday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed former Florida A&M football player.

Investigators say Randall Kerrick shot 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell on Sept. 14 as Ferrell looked for help after a car crash.

Attorneys for Ferrell's family praised the decision. "There is a tremendous sense of relief for the family. We are very thankful that the grand jury carefully considered the evidence and returned the indictment," said Charles Monnett III.

In a statement, the family said it would continue to monitor the case.

"We will persevere in our quest for justice for not just Jonathan, but all law abiding citizens. After all, what happened to him that night could happen to any of us," the statement said.

Representatives of the Charlotte chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other civil rights groups have questioned whether race played a role in the shooting. Kerrick is white; Ferrell was black.

The indictment was handed down hours after a judge ruled the North Carolina Attorney General's office could resubmit the case to a grand jury.

Last week, a Mecklenburg County grand jury refused to indict the 27-year-old Kerrick, a former animal control officer, on a voluntary manslaughter charge.

Attorney General Roy Cooper decided to send the case to another grand jury because the first grand jury was missing four members.

Kerrick's lawyers filed a motion Friday to stop it, arguing prosecutors cannot resubmit a case, but it was denied by Judge Robert Bell.