On April 21, a Black man named Andrew Brown Jr. was shot and killed by Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office deputies in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Stay with Snopes.com for live updates as this story unfolds.
The fatal shooting occurred the day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd, also a Black man.
The aftermath of Brown's death has brought daily news from local police in Pasquotank County, lawyers on both sides, Black Lives Matter supporters, and the victim's family members and friends.
Today's News:
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- 2:53 p.m. EDT - Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II 'Disappointed' in Judge's Decision (Facebook)
- 1:41 p.m. EDT - Legal Team for Brown's Family Releases Statement on Judge's Decision (Twitter)
- 12:48 p.m. EDT - Judge Denies Requests for Video in North Carolina Shooting (full story)
- 7:16 a.m. EDT - Andrew Brown Jr. Funeral Set for Monday With Sharpton Eulogy (full story)
Previous News:
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- Elizabeth City Shooting Prompts Push to Change NC Law on Body Camera Video (WRAL.com)
- FBI Starts Civil Rights Probe into Death of Andrew Brown Jr. (full story)
- Lawyers: Pathologist Says Andrew Brown Jr. Shot 5 Times by Deputies (full story)
- Black Man Had Hands on Steering Wheel When Killed by Deputies, Attorneys Say (full story)
- N.C. Sheriff Says He Wants To Release Bodycam Footage In Killing Of Andrew Brown Jr. (NPR.com)
- North Carolina Officials Called On Police To Release Bodycam Footage Of The Fatal Shooting Of Andrew Brown (BuzzFeed News)
- 7 Deputies On Leave After Fatal Shooting of Black Man (full story)
- Fox News Personality Laura Ingraham's Remarks on Bakari Sellers (Twitter)
- Pasquotank Sheriff Releases Recorded Statement on Shooting Death of Andrew Brown (The News & Observer)
- Man Killed By Deputy Recalled as Storyteller, Jokester (full story)
- Sheriff: Deputy Fatally Shot Black Man While Serving Warrant (full story)
- Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II Briefs Reporters (WAVY.com/YouTube)
Further, in case you missed it, see our coverage of the police shootings of Adam Toledo, Ma'Khia Bryant, and a number of other victims.
The following live updates provide a rundown of the killing of Andrew Brown Jr. and the events that have taken place since the fatal shooting.
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April 28, 2021
2:53 p.m. EDT - Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II 'Disappointed' in Judge's Decision
The following message appeared on the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office Facebook page:
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1:41 p.m. EDT - Legal Team for Brown's Family Releases Statement
The legal team for Brown's family released a statement after a judge denied requests to release police body camera video:
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12:48 p.m. EDT - Judge Denies Requests for Video in North Carolina Shooting
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday denied requests to release body camera video in the case of a Black man who was shot to death by North Carolina deputies as they tried to arrest him on drug-related warrants.
Judge Jeffery Foster said he believed the videos contained information that could harm the ongoing investigation or threaten the safety of people seen in the footage. He said the video must remain out of public view for at least 30 days.
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The decision came shortly after a North Carolina prosecutor said that Andrew Brown Jr. had hit law enforcement officers with his car before they opened fire.
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7:16 a.m. EDT - Andrew Brown Jr. Funeral Set for Monday With Sharpton Eulogy
A funeral will be held next Monday for Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man shot and killed by North Carolina deputies, with the Rev. Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy.
Lawyers for Brown’s family said that the funeral will take place at noon on Monday in Elizabeth City. Other details of the arrangements were still being settled. Brown was shot and killed last week by Pasquotank County deputies serving drug-related search and arrest warrants.
Brown’s family asked Sharpton to deliver the eulogy because they felt the civil rights leader would properly honor his legacy, said Lee Ferebee, the uncle of Brown’s son Khalil Ferebee.
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April 27, 2021
Elizabeth City Shooting Prompts Push to Change NC Law on Body Camera Video
RALEIGH, N.C. — Less than a week after deputies shot and killed a man in Elizabeth City, Democratic lawmakers called Tuesday for updates to North Carolina's law on how video from officers' body-worn and dashboard cameras is handled.
Read the full story from WRAL.com.
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FBI Starts Civil Rights Probe into Death of Andrew Brown Jr.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — The FBI launched a civil rights probe Tuesday into the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man killed by deputies in North Carolina, as his family released an independent autopsy showing he was shot five times, including in the back of the head.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called for a special prosecutor while pressure built on authorities to release body camera footage of last week’s shooting. A judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday to consider formal requests to make the video public.
The FBI’s Charlotte field office, which opened the civil rights investigation into Brown’s death, said in a statement that its agents planned to work closely with the Department of Justice “to determine whether federal laws were violated.”
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Lawyers: Pathologist Says Andrew Brown Jr. Shot 5 Times by Deputies
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Black man shot and killed by deputies in North Carolina say an independent autopsy shows that he was shot five times, including a shot in the back of the head.
Attorney Wayne Kendall said Tuesday that an independent pathologist hired by Andrew Brown Jr.’s family examined his body.
The doctor noted four wounds to the right arm and one to the head, Kendall said during a news conference.
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April 26, 2021
Black Man Had Hands on Steering Wheel When Killed by Deputies, Attorneys Say
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A Black man killed by deputies in North Carolina was shot in the back of the head and had his hands on his car steering wheel when they opened fire, attorneys for his family said Monday after relatives viewed body camera footage.
The account was the first description of the shooting of Andrew Brown Jr., who was killed by deputies serving drug-related search and arrest warrants. His death last Wednesday led to nightly protests and demands for justice in the town of Elizabeth City. Authorities have released few details, and the video has not been made public.
Attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter watched a 20-second portion of body camera video with Brown’s family. Lassiter said Brown did not appear to be a threat to officers as he backed his vehicle out of his driveway and tried to drive away from deputies with guns drawn.
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Fox News Personality Laura Ingraham's Remarks on Bakari Sellers
This video comes from Fox News and was reposted to Twitter. A different video also reposted to Twitter showed Sellers appearing to respond to Ingraham the next day.
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April 25, 2021
N.C. Sheriff Says He Wants To Release Bodycam Footage In Killing Of Andrew Brown Jr.
In a Facebook video posted Saturday afternoon, Pasquotank County, N.C., Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said his office wants the body camera footage related to the killing of Andrew Brown Jr. to be made public.
Read the full story from NPR.com.
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April 24, 2021
North Carolina Officials Called On Police To Release Bodycam Footage Of The Fatal Shooting Of Andrew Brown
A chorus of public officials, including the governor of North Carolina, demanded the release of bodycam footage of the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy Wednesday.
Read the full story from BuzzFeed News.
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April 23, 2021
7 Deputies On Leave After Fatal Shooting of Black Man
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — Seven North Carolina deputies have been placed on leave in the aftermath of a Black man being shot and killed by members of their department serving drug-related search and arrest warrants, authorities said Friday.
The disclosure comes as calls increase for the release of deputy body camera footage amid signs, including emergency scanner traffic, that Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back and killed as he was trying to drive away.
Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Aaron Wallio confirmed the number of deputies on leave due to the shooting in an email Friday. Sheriff Tommy Wooten II has previously said that multiple deputies fired shots and were placed on leave after Brown was killed Wednesday morning.
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April 22, 2021
Pasquotank Sheriff Releases Recorded Statement on Shooting Death of Andrew Brown
The News & Observer published this video to YouTube:
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Man Killed By Deputy Recalled as Storyteller, Jokester
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — Andrew Brown Jr.’s easy smile, which belied hardship, loss and troubles with the law, was memorable for his dimples, his relatives said. He was quick to crack a joke at the family gatherings he tried not to miss after losing both of his parents. He encouraged his children to make good grades even though he dropped out of high school himself. Above all, he was determined to give them a better life than he had.
The 42-year-old Black man from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was shot to death Wednesday by one or more deputy sheriffs trying to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants. An eyewitness said Brown tried to drive away, but was shot dead in his car. The shooting has prompted protests and demands for accountability in the eastern North Carolina city of about 18,000. The sheriff said deputies involved have been put on leave pending a state investigation.
Despite his hard life — Brown was partially paralyzed on his right side by an accidental shooting, and he lost an eye when he was stabbed, according to aunt Glenda Brown Thomas — “Drew,” as he was called, looked for the humor in things.
“He had a good laugh, a nice smile. And he had good dimples,” Thomas said in an interview Thursday, a day after her nephew was killed. “You know, when he’s talking and smiling, his dimples would always show. And he was kind of like a comedian. He always had a nice joke.”
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Sheriff: Deputy Fatally Shot Black Man While Serving Warrant
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina deputy shot and killed a Black man while serving a search warrant Wednesday, authorities said, spurring an outcry from community members who demanded law enforcement accountability and the immediate release of body camera footage.
Authorities wouldn’t provide details of the shooting but an eyewitness said that Andrew Brown Jr. was shot while trying to drive away, and that deputies fired at him multiple times. The car skidded out of Brown’s yard and eventually hit a tree, said Demetria Williams, who lives on the same street.
Williams said after hearing one gunshot, she ran outside, where she saw other shots being fired at the car.
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April 21, 2021
Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II Briefs Reporters
WAVY TV 10 published a video from Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II who held a briefing to reporters following the shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Stay with Snopes.com for further live updates in the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr.