VIDEO: Pasquotank sheriff to ask for release of deputy-involved shooting footage

There have been a series of new developments regarding the shooting death of Andrew Brown, Jr., by a Pasquotank County sheriff’s Deputy in Elizabeth City last week.

Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten reiterated in a recorded statement Saturday that state law allows only a judge to release body camera footage of the incident that happened Wednesday morning in the Roanoke Avenue.

The Daily Advance reported Saturday that District Attorney Andrew Womble may be against that decision. A coalition of North Carolina media outlets and the Elizabeth City City Council plan to file requests for release.

Governor Roy Cooper, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker, and local and state civil rights leaders have joined the growing call for the footage to be released.

The Daily Advance reported Saturday the Pasquotank NAACP is calling for the resignation of Wooten.

Members of an unspecified Dare County law enforcement agency were at the scene at the time as part of a drug-related investigation on the Outer Banks, but Wooten has said only his deputy or deputies opened fire.

Court records show Brown had an extensive criminal history, including pending felony drug counts in Dare County.

According to radio traffic recordings, officers on the scene said Brown was shot in the back while law enforcement was serving a search warrant at a home on Perry Street.

Other developments over the weekend include seven Pasquotank deputies are on administrative leave, while another three resigned or retired. The sheriff’s department said those departures were unrelated to the shooting.

Local residents, joined by others from across the country, have been marching through the streets of Elizabeth City since Wednesday night asking for more answers. The protests have remained peaceful with no arrests, according to Police Chief Eddie Buffaloe.

City Manager Montre Freeman said during a news conference Saturday they appreciate the patience shown by those who have been trying to pass through the downtown and Ehringhaus business corridor areas over the last several days that have been delayed by the marches.

This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*