7 deputies put on leave, 3 resign after killing of N.C. Black man
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Seven deputies have been placed on leave and three more have resigned in the aftermath of a Black man being shot and killed by members of their department serving drug-related search and arrest warrants, authorities said Friday.
The disclosure comes as calls increase for the release of deputy body camera footage amid signs, including emergency scanner traffic, that Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back and killed as he was trying to drive away on Wednesday.
Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Aaron Wallio confirmed the resignations and deputies on leave in an email Friday.
Sheriff Tommy Wooten II has said multiple deputies fired shots and were placed on leave after Brown was killed Wednesday morning. Wallio said the department about 55 deputies.
Also Friday, the City Council in Elizabeth City unanimously voted to send a letter to the sheriff, local prosecutor and State Bureau of Investigation demanding release of body camera footage. The measure also directed city staff to petition a local court to release the footage if the sheriff denies the council’s request.
Wooten has confirmed that at least one deputy was wearing an active body camera but hasn’t given a timetable for releasing it.
“Doing nothing is not an option,” Councilman Michael Brooks said.
The council’s measure isn’t binding on the Pasquotank County Sheriff ’s Office, which is a separate entity from city government. In North Carolina, a judge must generally sign off on release of body camera footage, but the law says anyone can file a petition in court seeking its release.
A coalition of news outlets including the Associated Press also filed a petition Friday asking a local judge to release the footage.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that President Joe Biden is aware of Brown’s death, but that Biden likely would leave decisions over the timetable for releasing body camera footage to local authorities.
“Obviously, the loss of life is a tragedy, and obviously we’re thinking of the family members and the community,“Psaki said at her daily briefing.
Wooten has said deputies from his department including a tactical team were trying to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants when Brown was shot, but he has offered few other details. Nearby Dare County had issued two arrest warrants for Brown on drug-related charges including possession with intent to sell cocaine.
Brown, 42, had a criminal history dating back to the 1990s, including past drug convictions.
Recordings of scanner traffic compiled by broadcastify.com from the morning of the shooting include emergency personnel indicating that Brown was shot in the back. A witness has said deputies fired shots at Brown as he tried to drive away, and a car authorities removed from the scene appeared to have multiple bullet holes and a shattered back window.
“We are responding. Law enforcement on scene advises shots fired, need EMS,” says one woman, who refers to the address where the warrant was served.
“EMS has got one male 42 years of age, gunshot to the back. We do have viable pulse at this time,” said a male voice. Someone then said first responders were trying to resuscitate the man.
The sheriff, district attorney and state medical examiner didn’t immediately respond to emails Friday asking for comment on the scanner traffic. The State Bureau of Investigation, which is looking into the shooting, declined to comment.
During demonstrations Thursday night, protesters questioned why deputies opened fire in a residential area down the street from an elementary school. Brown’s car came to rest in front of a house near yellow road signs marking the approach to the school.
“That means they fired a shot in a school zone,” Quentin Jackson, regional director for the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, said while addressing a group of fellow demonstrators.
People in the crowd nodded and shouted, “Yeah.” One man yelled, “And they fired into a moving vehicle.”
“When does this stop?” Jackson asked. “When does it stop?”