"This was an execution": Anger grows as bodycam footage of Andrew Brown Jr. police shooting is released

Elizabeth City, North Carolina - Elizabeth City is under a state of emergency after bodycam footage revealed that Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man, was killed by police while he still hand his hands on the steering wheel of his car.

The car of Andrew Brown Jr. is riddled with bullet holes after police opened fire during while serving a warrant for his arrest. Brown was unarmed.
The car of Andrew Brown Jr. is riddled with bullet holes after police opened fire during while serving a warrant for his arrest. Brown was unarmed.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

On April 21, police in the North Carolina town were serving an arrest warrant to 42-year-old Andrew Brown Jr. on suspicion of packaging and distribution of drugs when Brown allegedly jumped in his car and tried to back out of his driveway.

Bodycam footage and ballistics prove police opened fire on the unarmed man while he was still in his driveway, with his hands on his steering wheel.

Reports show that he was shot from behind by a number of deputies in a SWAT-style approach. The department said that as Brown had a history of resisting arrest, they considered the situation "high-risk".

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Yet there are many unanswered questions. Seven deputies have been put on administrative leave. Three have quit outright though the sheriff's office said their resignations were unrelated to the current case.

"Let's be clear, this was an execution," said Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, the attorney for the family of the late Andrew Brown Jr. "Andrew Brown was in his driveway and he had his hands on the steering wheel. They run up to his vehicle, shooting."

The family's attorneys say that Brown was shot in the back of the head, and at least five officers were shooting at him while also telling him to keep his hands in the air.

They also slammed authorities for only showing them 20 seconds of edited footage from a single bodycam, despite there having been at least eight on the scene.

Protesters have gathered to signal to authorities that this case cannot go unnoticed, particularly as the DOJ has announced an investigation into Louisville policing after the death of Breonna Taylor last year.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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