North Carolina sheriff's deputy serving a search warrant shoots and kills black father of ten, 40, as he tries to drive away in his car
A North Carolina sheriff's deputy was serving a search warrant on Wednesday morning when he shot and killed a black man who family members say was driving away from the scene.
Gunfire erupted at 8.30am in the 400 block of Perry Street in Elizabeth City. According to neighbors, they heard six to eight shots.
The Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office confirmed one of its officers shot the man, but has released few details, including whether or not the victim was armed at the time of the incident.
A man identified by relatives as Andrew Brown (left and right) was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, early Wednesday
Witnesses said Brown got into his car (pictured) and was driving away when the deputy opened fire.
A large crowd of neighbors and protesters descended on the scene in the wake of Brown's shooting
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, officials remained tight-lipped and refused to answer most questions about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II did confirm that a deputy from his department shot Brown. He revealed that the unnamed deputy has been on the force for about a year.
The deputy was placed on leave pending a review by the State Bureau of Investigation. His race has not been revealed.
Wooten said that the deputy was wearing a body camera but said he has yet to review the footage. It could take time for that video to be released since releasing such footage requires a judge’s approval in the state
Family members identified the victim as Andrew Brown Jr, a 40-year-old father of 10 children. It is unclear why he was being served with a search warrant, WAVY first reported.
Witnesses said Brown got into his car and was driving away when the deputy opened fire.
According to relatives, Brown was unarmed and did not hurt anyone, but authorities have yet to confirm that information.
Brown's body was removed from his vehicle and placed beneath a blue tent, where it remained for hours after the shooting.
The shooting drew a large crowd of angry neighbors and protesters, some of whom were livestreaming video from the scene.
Brown's death comes a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts of murdering George Floyd, an unarmed black man.
Officers are seen working inside a tent that was erected to shield Brown's car from view after the fatal shooting in Elizabeth City Wednesday
Just minutes before the verdict was announced, an officer in Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant during a confrontation with two other women that involved a knife.
Several people who identified themselves as Brown's relatives have posted messages on social media mourning his death.
'The last time I saw my cousin in October, we talked more than we ever have. Lots of laughs. Now I know why. R.I.P. Jr,' wrote Jadine Hampton.
Another woman who also identified herself as Brown's cousin wrote in a status update: 'I can't believe this .. You see stuff like this on TV but I never thought it would happen in my own family R.I.P cousin Andrew Brown. U just messaged me last week.. this is crazy.'
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will lead the probe into Brown's fatal shooting.
Keith Rivers, the president of the Pasquotank NAACP, was on the scene of the shooting in Elizabeth City and called on the sheriff's office to release body camera video as quickly as possible.
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