ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — A prayer vigil in Elizabeth City Friday night marked the third anniversary of the shooting death of Andrew Brown, Jr. by Pasquotank County deputies.
Brown’s death drew national attention and sparked protests. Three years later, Brown’s family and community leaders said they are still seeking accountability.
“When you see this type of thing take place, and there’s no accountability, it’s hard,” said Keith Rivers, president of the Pasquotank County Branch of the NAACP. “It’s hard to bring closure. It’s hard to move on. It’s easy to say let’s move on. But it’s not that easy.”
The three deputies who fired at Brownwere eventually reinstated. One later retired.
Pasquotank County deputies were executing drug-related warrants on April 21, 2021, at Brown’s home in Elizabeth City when they approached him.
Snippets of body camera footage of the incident released by Andrew Womble, who was district attorney at the time of the case, showed Brown in his car as deputies run up to him. Brown then drove in the direction of deputies, which led deputies to start shooting, Womble said.
Brown’s family and their community supporters said he was trying to escape and that the county’s use of force policy was violated because deputies shot at a moving vehicle.
News
7 deputies on administrative leave following Andrew Brown shooting, Pasquotank County sheriff says
Womble, who is now a judge, declined to prosecute the deputies, saying Brown was using the vehicle as a “deadly weapon.” The family did reach a $3 million settlement with the Sheriff’s office.
Brown’s aunt, Glenda Thomas, spoke at the vigil and said the past few years have been hard for the family. They still want to see the full body camera video from the incident.
“For any family out there, don’t think that this won’t happen to your family because it can happen to anyone,” Thomas said,
Sheriff Tommy Wooten previously told News 3 that after the shooting, deputies received more training on de-escalation and use of force and a citizen’s advisory council was established seeking to improve relations between law enforcement and the community.
But Thomas feels little has changed.
“I’m hoping something is done sooner than later, because three years is just too long,” she said.
At last check, a federal civil rights investigation is still underway, and the results of that are still pending.
