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ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The family of Andrew Brown Jr. was finally able to view the bodycam footage of the incident that left Brown Jr. dead last week after deputies were serving a search warrant. The family was told they would be able to view the footage at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, but law enforcement delayed the viewing by hours because they wanted to add redactions to the video.
Family only shown one short clip of shooting
At a press conference Monday afternoon, the family’s attorneys said there was only one bodycam footage available that lasted 20 seconds. When the family was finally able to view the bodycam footage, their attorneys were not able to be present in the room with them.
“For them to delay this is unacceptable…don’t prolong it because it only builds the mistrust,” attorney Benjamin Crump said.
State of emergency declared ahead of bodycam release
Brown Jr. was in his driveway with his hands on his steering wheel when deputies approached his vehicle and began to open fire, according to the family’s attorneys. “He backed out, away from the officers, while they were still shooting at him,” said family attorneys. Eight officers were present on the scene.
“He was a good guy. Everybody has their flaws. He was trying to get his kids back,” said his brother Antron Brown. Brown’s family has acknowledged he had faults, but said he wasn’t a violent person and should not have been killed.
Elizabeth City, and surrounding Pasquotank County have declared a state of emergency ahead of the release of the footage. Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker says law enforcement expects a “period of civil unrest” after the release of the video and the order helps mobilize state and federal resources.
The family has been pushing for the release of the un-redacted footage but Pasquotank County Attorney R. Michael Cox released a statement saying that North Carolina law allows for the blurring of faces “when necessary to protect an active internal investigation.”
The footage is expected to be released to the public this afternoon.
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