Calls grow in US for release of the bodycam video of Black man’s killing

Pasquotank County Sheriff, Tommy Wooten, said the body-camera footage of Brown’s death had been turned over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and could be released only by judge order.

Meanwhile, protesters have gathered on the streets of Elizabeth City blocking a few intersections for the third consecutive night. 

The protesters held placards demanding, “Justice for Andrew Brown.”

They chanted, “Where’s Wooten?”, and “What’s his name? Andrew Brown!” 

Kirk Rivers, one of the protest organizers told CNN that the protesters demand the release of the police body-camera footage and will keep protesting until authorities make clear what happened.

"Come out and talk to us. We just want people to come out and talk to us," Rivers said on Thursday. "Are you just going to continue to let us assume what took place?"

City manager Montre told CNN that he was worried that matters could get worse and the peaceful protests could soon turn violent if authorities stalled action in this regard.

"This thing is going to have a ripple effect the longer it's out here," he warned.

Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, on Friday tweeted that initial reports about Brown's killing were "tragic and extremely concerning,"

He said the body-camera footage of the incident should be released without any delay.

“The body camera footage should be made public as quickly as possible and the SBI should investigate thoroughly to ensure accountability,” Cooper also wrote on Twitter.

Also, the Elizabeth City Council voted unanimously on Friday for the body-camera footage to be released. 

Keith Rivers, a local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) leader, called the release of the body-camera footage “a must to build the transparency that is needed in our community.”

Andrew Womble, the Pasquotank County district attorney, said on Wednesday that he had urged the SBI to take primary responsibility for the inquiry into Brown’s death.

Reports said the shooting happened after Brown, who was unarmed, fled from the police while they were going to serve him a search warrant for drug-related charges.

Meanwhile, Harry Daniels, a lawyer for the Brown family, said it appeared that the victim had been shot while driving away from sheriff’s deputies.

Dispatch audio from emergency responders confirmed that Brown was shot in the back.

In the meantime, seven deputies have been placed on administrative leave in the aftermath of Brown’s killing, Wooten told CNN, adding that two of them had resigned and one retired.

Wooten, who has pledged to be transparent in the investigation about the killing, said that the deputies were wearing body cameras and that the cameras were active at the time of the incident.

The killing of Brown occurred as pro-justice protests were being held across the nation over previous killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement officers.

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