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Protests continue in Elizabeth City after DA Womble says Brown shooting was justified

Some to take part in 'Spendless Wednesdays'
Andrew Brown Jr. protest (May 18) 2.jpg
Andrew Brown Jr. protest (May 18).jpg
Posted at 10:33 PM, May 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-18 23:33:13-04

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - Tensions were high Tuesday night in Elizabeth City after District Attorney Andrew Womble said the deadly shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. last month was justified.

Womble gave remarks on the final results of the state's investigation into Brown's death Tuesday, adding that no officers would be charged in this incident.

Folks like Tishima Granby continued to call for the public release of the body cam footage related to the incident.

“I feel like if we never came together, it would’ve been swept under the rug,” Granby said.

Jessica Kelly has been one of many hitting the streets almost every night raising their voices since Brown's death. Kelly said she and others are also calling for Womble to step down as district attorney.

“Trusting the police would be great,” Kelly said. “It affects my friends and it affects my neighbors, and that’s all of us.”

Those protesting Tuesday night also included Pasquotank NAACP President Keith Rivers.

“I think people are fed up,” Rivers told News 3. “I don’t think there were a lot of people that were alarmed.”

Meanwhile, Rivers and others are calling for the Department of Justice to get involved.

“We need transparency,” Rivers said. “The district attorney, from day one, could’ve had went out and said, ‘Let’s get a special prosecutor.’ The perception is now there is no transparency. It has caused a breach in trust.”

Kelly told News 3 there's plans for some protesters to take part in "Spendless Wednesdays,” protesting with their pockets.

“They killed him on a Wednesday, and we want to show that until you do the right things by the community, the community is not going to pay you,” Kelly said. “We want everyone in North Carolina to spend no money until justice is served for Andrew Brown.”

Meanwhile, people will continue getting their message across and call for the release of the footage.

Related: Al Sharpton, National Action Network calling for U.S. attorney general to intervene in Andrew Brown Jr. case

“The community is saying no more,” Rivers said. “They’re saying we’re not going back to the way things used to be. The time has come now for a change.”

According to Kelly, “Spendless Wednesdays” are expected to start this week and continue every Wednesday until everything is resolved with this case.