The FBI opens investigation into the death of Andrew Brown Jr.

Protesters marched Monday night after it was learned that the family had only seen 20 seconds of the body camera footage.

Elizabeth City, North Carolina (CNN) -

The FBI field office in Charlotte confirmed that they have opened a federal civil rights investigation into the police shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. last week, according to an FBI spokesperson. .

“Officers will work closely with the District Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division to determine whether federal laws have been violated.

As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further, ”the statement said.

Brown, a 42-year-old black man from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was fatally shot in the back of the neck while trying to flee from Pasquotank County Sheriff's deputies, who had already shot him four times in the right arm, said the Tuesday the family's attorney, Wayne Kendall, citing a private autopsy of Brown's body.

"He was trying to run because he was afraid for his life," Kendall told a news conference.

The head shot caused Brown to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a tree, Kendall said.

A copy of his death certificate says he died within minutes from a gunshot wound to the head.

• Witnesses describe a chaotic scene when cops shot Andrew Brown Jr.

The Pasquotank County Sheriff has said that deputies shot Brown while trying to carry out a warrant.

Harry Daniels, another attorney for the family, said Brown was unarmed when officers opened fire.

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The private autopsy, carried out by Dr. Brent Hall, adds key details to last Wednesday's shooting, which has sparked protests over the lack of transparency from the authorities.

A curfew has been established for Elizabeth City beginning Tuesday night at 8 p.m., according to an announcement from Pasquotank County.

The Sheriff's Office has released little information about the shooting and they say they cannot legally release the body camera footage without a warrant.

The few things they have posted have not answered the doubts surrounding the shooting.

The family of an Andre Brown, who was fatally shot by police in North Carolina last week, saw images from police body cameras on Monday.

On Monday, Brown's family and attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter privately viewed a 20-second clip of body camera video from one of the sheriff's deputies, which they say shows an "execution."

• Lawyer for Andrew Brown Jr.'s Family Says Police Shooting Video Shows "Execution"

"I said yesterday that I thought he had been executed," Brown's son Khalil Ferebee said Tuesday.

'Obviously he was trying to escape.

It's obvious.

And are they going to shoot him in the neck?

Man, that's not cool.

That's not right at all.

The Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office said the county attorney filed a motion in court Monday to release the video, and a media coalition that includes CNN also filed a request for the video's release.

However, in a statement posted on Facebook, Pasquotank Sheriff Tommy Wooten tried to downplay the videos.

“This tragic incident was quick and ended in less than 30 seconds, and the body cameras are shaky and sometimes difficult to decipher.

They only tell part of the story, "he said.

The deadly shooting came just one day after former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd.

However, Brown's law enforcement killings, as well as others in Ohio and Virginia in the past week, highlight the pervasiveness of police violence in the United States.

The continued delay in releasing the video of Brown's death also highlights the growing importance of body cameras for transparency and accountability.

"We have a little bit of evidence, but that wasn't enough for us," Ferebee told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

"We are heartbroken."

What we know about the shooting

Protesters marched Monday night after it was learned that the family only saw 20 seconds of the body camera footage.

In the April 21 recording, emergency crews are heard saying that a man had gunshot wounds to the back.

Cherry-Lassiter said the footage she saw of the shooting showed an "execution."

Brown was seen in his driveway, blocked by the sheriff's department, sitting with his hands on the wheel, he said.

"I wasn't reaching for anything, I wasn't touching anything, I wasn't throwing anything," he said.

Officers ran to his car and fired as Brown was backing up and out of the driveway, he said.

Officers continued to shoot him as he drove away, Cherry-Lassiter said.

"What the 20 seconds show is that Andrew Brown was not a threat to the officers," Cherry-Lassiter told CNN on Tuesday.

"While they were shooting at him, Andrew was trying to get away from the officers and save his life, save his own life."

CNN has not seen the video and has been unable to independently verify the account of the family's attorneys.

Police Chief Daniel Fogg said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case until all the evidence is gathered.

Protesters and lawyers for the family have criticized the lack of public information and the video clip provided to the family.

"They are trying to hide something," said civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

They don't want us to see everything.

Another video released to the public Monday by a passerby shows Brown's car stopped near a tree and surrounded by multiple officers.

Seven sheriff's deputies were placed on administrative leave after the shooting, two more resigned and one deputy retired, Wooten said.

Not all of the suspended officers fired their firearms, he added, but they were all part of the operation.

What the authorities have made public

Pasquotank County sheriffs were authorized to search for cocaine, other controlled substances and "evidence of criminal activity" in Brown's two vehicles and at his residence, according to a search warrant signed by a judge on April 20.

The copy of the search warrant obtained by CNN was marked "not executed."

At the first news conference on Brown's death, Wooten said that Brown died while deputies were attempting to execute the search warrant, but later stated that Brown died while deputies were serving an arrest warrant.

CNN has been unable to obtain the arrest warrant.

According to the search warrant, County Police Investigator D. Ryan Meads received information from the Dare County Narcotics Task Force in March 2021 “regarding the illegal sale of controlled narcotics by Andrew Brown. who resided on Perry Street in Elizabeth City. '

The task force had been in contact with an informant who claimed to have bought drugs from Brown for more than a year, including at his home or at motels / hotels, according to the court order.

However, Brown's aunt, Betty Banks, said the family was informed that authorities did not find any drugs or weapons in Brown's car or at his home.

Elizabeth City declared a state of emergency Monday morning amid concerns that the release of the video could lead to civil unrest.

According to the city's emergency declaration, city officials will also submit a formal request to the sheriff's office for the release of the video.

“It seems likely that the video and audio images will be released in the very near future.

In order to ensure the safety of our citizens and their property, city officials are aware that there may be a potential period of unrest after the images are released, ”the statement said.

Elizabeth City protesters protested Monday night in front of the home of Pasquotank County Prosecutor Michael Cox, organizer Kirk Rivers and other protesters told CNN.

The protest went on for about 15 minutes, chanting "Hands up, don't shoot," as well as "Black Lives Matter" and "Andrew Brown."

The march then headed toward the sheriff's office.

- CNN's Natasha Chen reported from Elizabeth City and CNN's Eric Levenson and Gregory Lemos reported and wrote from Atlanta, respectively.

CNN's Madeline Holcombe, Kevin Conlon, Devon M. Sayers, Brian Todd, Jamiel Lynch, Steve Almasy, Christina Maxouris and Hollie Silverman contributed to this report.

North Carolina Police Violence