In the 20 seconds of bodycam footage, Andrew Brown Jr.’s family could see, Brown was complying with officers’ orders.
What We Know:
- After watching 20 seconds of footage from one of at least eight responding duties’ bodycams, the family believes Brown was not a threat. According to Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, the recording shows Brown sitting in his car with his hands clearly placed on the steering wheel. The family did confirm Brown tried to drive away, but only because police were already firing at him. Cherry-Lassiter stated they heard over two dozen shots in those 20 seconds.
“His car was riddled with bullets, shooting him when he was not threatening them in any form or fashion… There were shell casing before he even backed out. So they were shooting at him when he was sitting there with his hands on the steering wheel in the driveway,” Cherry-Lassiter said.
- Buzzfeed News writes that an unknown number of officers fired at Brown. Cherry-Lasiter claims the officers ran up to the vehicle shooting. Police shot Brown as he backed away, causing him to lose control of his car and hit a tree. Harry Daniels, another attorney representing the Browns, told the Associated Press deputies shot Brown in the back of the head.
- Before the video’s release, Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker declared a state of emergency. She cited a potential “period of civil unrest.” NBC News reports only a judge can publicly release the video. Parker said the declaration allows the city to receive state and federal assistance to “protect the citizens.” Regardless, protestors took to the streets on Monday. The community believed the redacted video was a cover-up for the police.
- Pasquotank County Attorney R. Michael Cox announced on Monday Brown’s family would be able to see the bodycam footage. The family expected to see the video around noon, but the viewing was delayed several hours. The county attorney sought redaction so that officers’ faces could be blurred.
- Representatives of the Browns were upset by the “disrespect” shown by blurring the deputies’ faces.
“Why is it that they get to choose what is the pertinent parts to show the family?” asked civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
- Alongside Brown, there have been numerous civilian deaths at the hands of police officers in the month of April alone. Among these are the high-profile cases of Daunte Wright and Ma’Khia Bryant. The influx in cases has further made the public push more for law enforcement accountability. In Elizabeth City, protestors took to the streets on Monday after Brown’s family saw the footage. Citizens felt the redacted video was just a cover-up.
- NBC News writes that the circumstances of Brown’s death remain unclear. Currently, seven deputies are on administrative leave. Three have resigned, but a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office says it is unrelated to the shooting.
Due to the lack of certainty, in this case, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has called for a state investigation “to ensure accountability.”
