A Pasquotank County, North Carolina, judge decided Wednesday not to release the bodycam videos of Andrew Brown’s shooting by deputies, but left the door open for the footage to be released after the state’s investigation into the fatal incident.
Superior Court Judge Jeff Foster did, however, order the release of four bodycam videos to Andrew Brown’s son and to one attorney within the next 10 days.
Brown, 42, was shot and killed by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies in Elizabeth City on April 21. Brown was trying to leave his home in a vehicle when deputies shot him, according to Brown’s family’s attorneys and a witness.
A drug task force had been investigating Brown for more than a year, and allegedly had a confidential informant buy drugs from Brown at his home and at various motels, court records show. Deputies were trying to execute a search warrant on Brown’s home when the shooting happened.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into Brown’s death.
In Wednesday's hearing, District Attorney Andrew Womble divulged details about the shooting that had not been reported: He said the video footage showed Brown making contact with deputies with his car while backing up and driving forward, before being shot.
Womble’s account stands in contrast to how the Brown family and their attorneys described the events after a viewing a 20-second clip of footage Monday — and drew a sharp reaction from Brown’s family’s attorneys afterward.
One of those attorneys, Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, said she did not see Brown’s vehicle make contact with any deputies in the clip.
Another attorney for the family, Harry Daniels, called Womble’s behavior “beyond reprehensible.” He said disputes over what the footage shows demonstrate why they should be publicly released.
”Show us the video. Show us the tape,” he said. “If that’s your position, show the tape.”
Womble said that Brown “made contact” with deputies when he backed up his vehicle. Then Brown briefly stopped and moved forward, making contact with deputies in front of his vehicle before he was shot.
The sheriff’s department has not reported that any deputies were injured in the incident.
An attorney for the deputies involved contended the video should not be released, saying his clients could not get a fair trial. They are “distraught” about what happened, he said, but added: “We believe the shooting was justified.”
