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NAACP holds press conference, march to mark 100 days since Andrew Brown Jr.'s death

NAACP marks 100 days since Andrew Brown Jr.'s death.PNG
Posted at 11:02 PM, Jul 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-29 23:24:17-04

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - It’s been 100 days since Andrew Brown Jr. was shot and killed by Pasquotank County sheriff's deputies, and the NAACP has new demands. The officers involved in Brown's shooting have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

"On behalf of the members of the Pasquotank County community and the Pasquotank chapter of the NAACP, we demand that the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners develop and implement a community review commission," said Keith Rivers, the president of the Pasquotank County NAACP.

Rivers says the group is calling for the commission to independently investigate policing and employment practices by the county sheriff department.

"It is imperative that the board of commissioners form this reviewing commission because they are the body that funds the operations of the sheriff’s office and is capable of creating an official body that can review citizen’s complaints regarding the operations and activities of the sheriff’s department," Rivers said.

Protesters who have been marching since day one say Thursday is a milestone.

"I’ve been here since day one, and I’ve attended every demonstration," Andrea Rovenski said.

"A hundred days [I've] come out here working and come out here to support, just trying to be a shoulder and support the family," said Kenneth Wilson, a protester and former acquaintance of Brown.

Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker commended the protesters for their momentum after 100 days of continued demonstrations.

"I would like to commend you on your tenacity and sticking to it, and you all are indicating you want justice," Mayor Parker said.

She says she’s doing her part as mayor to bring justice Brown’s family.

"Some may say, ‘I haven’t seen the mayor here.’ Some of us are out front doing what has to be done, and then there are others that are on the inside doing what has to be done. We all have our parts," Mayor Parker said.

Since Brown’s death, Brown’s estate has filed a $30 million lawsuit. The Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office has also filed a petition to release the unredacted body camera footage of Brown's shooting death.