Officials in Elizabeth City, North Carolina have declared a state of emergency as the sheriff’s department is set to release bodycam footage from deputies’ fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr., WAVY reports.
According to the outlet, Brown’s family will be allowed to view the footage today (April 26) at 11:30 a.m. local time. The video is expected to be released to the public afterward, pending an official order from a court as per North Carolina law. Protesters and community members have continued to demand to see the footage after sheriff’s deputies fatally shot Brown while serving a search warrant last week.
In a statement, Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker said law enforcement is prepared for a “period of civil unrest” after the video is made public. She added that state and federal resources will be mobilized under the state of emergency declaration, which went into effect at 8 a.m. on Monday and will reportedly stay in effect indefinitely. City offices are closed and schools will rely on remote learning for the rest of the week.
As reported by REVOLT, deputies shot and killed Brown while executing a search warrant last Wednesday (April 21). Witnesses say the 42-year-old was driving away from deputies when they opened fire on his car, killing him. The search warrant was reportedly related to a drug investigation.
“We want to know if he was served with a warrant, why the shooting over a warrant?” Brown’s aunt, Clarissa Brown Gibson, previously told AP.
Brown’s relatives also told WAVY that he did not own a gun and was not a violent person.
“He was a good guy. Everybody has their flaws. He was trying to get his kids back,” his brother Antron Brown said.
After Brown’s death, seven deputies were placed on administrative leave and three resigned from the department. However, Pasquotank Sheriff Tommy Wooten said the three who resigned were not directly involved in the shooting.