FBI Launches Civil Rights Investigation Into Death Of Man Killed By Deputies In North Carolina

The FBI launched a civil rights probe Tuesday into the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man killed by deputies in North Carolina, as his family released an independent autopsy showing he was shot five times, including in the back of the head.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper called for a special prosecutor as pressure built on authorities to release body camera footage of last week's shooting. A judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday to consider formal requests to make the video public.

The FBI's Charlotte field office, which opened the civil rights investigation into Brown's death, said in a statement that its agents planned to work closely with the Department of Justice "to determine whether federal laws were violated."

The independent autopsy was performed Sunday by a pathologist hired by Brown's family. The exam noted four wounds to the right arm and one to the head. The state's autopsy has not been released yet.

The family's lawyers also released a copy of the death certificate, which lists the cause of death as a "penetrating gunshot wound of the head." The certificate, signed by a paramedic services instructor who serves as a local medical examiner, describes the death as a homicide.

"It was a kill shot to the back of the head," family attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference.   

Brown was shot last Wednesday by deputies serving drug-related search and arrest warrants at his house in the North Carolina town of Elizabeth City, about 160 miles northeast of Raleigh.

The autopsy results come a day after Brown's relatives were shown a 20-second clip of footage from one deputy's body camera. Another family lawyer, Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, who viewed the video, said Monday that officers opened fire on Brown while he had his hands on the steering wheel of a car. She said the video showed Brown trying to drive away but posing no threat to officers.

Brown's son Khalil Ferebee questioned why deputies opened fire.

"Yesterday I said he was executed. This autopsy report shows me that was correct," he said Tuesday at a news conference. "It's obvious he was trying to get away. It's obvious. And they're going to shoot him in the back of the head?"

The pathologist, North Carolina-based Dr. Brent Hall, noted a wound to the back of Brown's head from an undetermined distance that penetrated his skull and brain. He said there was no exit wound.

Two shots to Brown's right arm penetrated the skin. Two others shots to the arm grazed him. The pathologist could not determine the distance from which they were fired.

The shooting prompted days of protests and calls for justice and transparency. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II has said multiple deputies fired shots but released few details about what happened. Seven Pasquotank County deputies have been placed on leave while the State Bureau of Investigation probes the shooting.

The governor, a Democrat, said appointing a special state prosecutor to handle the shooting case would serve the interests of justice and preserve confidence in the judicial system.

"This would help assure the community and Mr. Brown's family that a decision on pursuing criminal charges is conducted without bias," Cooper said in a statement.

State Attorney General Josh Stein said state law puts control of criminal prosecutions in the hands of the local district attorney, so his office cannot intervene unless asked. He said he has offered assistance to prosecutors but has only received an acknowledgment.

"For my office to play a role in the prosecution, the District Attorney must request our assistance," Stein said.

District Attorney Andrew Womble, who oversees Pasquotank County, did not immediately respond to an email seeking reaction comment.

Wednesday's court hearing on the video will consider petitions to release the footage, including filings by a media coalition and by the county attorney on behalf of the sheriff. A North Carolina law that took effect in 2016 allows law enforcement agencies to show body camera video privately to a victim's family, but it generally requires a court to approve any public release.

It's not clear how soon a judge could rule or how quickly the video would be released if the release is approved. In similar cases, it has sometimes taken weeks for the full legal process to play out.

The slow movement has prompted an outcry from protesters, the family's lawyers and racial justice advocates, who noted that law enforcement agencies in other states have moved faster. In Columbus, Ohio, the day before Brown was shot, body camera footage was released within hours of an officer fatally shooting a 16-year-old Black girl who was swinging a knife at another girl.

Democrats in the North Carolina General Assembly filed a measure this month proposing that body camera video be released within 48 hours unless a law enforcement agency asks a court to delay its distribution. But the legislation faces long odds with the GOP controlling both chambers of the Legislature.

A key Republican lawmaker, state Sen. Danny Britt, issued a statement saying GOP lawmakers are open to considering improvements to the current law. But with a hearing set for Wednesday, he said, the process has had little time to unfold.

First published on April 27, 2021 / 12:48 PM

© 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.