Crowds of demonstrators took to the streets in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on Wednesday night after a man was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy executing a search warrant at his home.
The Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office said Andrew Brown Jr., a 40-year-old Black man, was shot around 8:30 a.m. while deputies were serving a search warrant in the 400 block of Perry Street in Elizabeth City.
Authorities offered few details about the shooting at an afternoon press conference, but Pasquotank Sheriff Tommy Wooten said Brown was the subject of the search warrant, adding that it is “a tragic day here.” The officer who killed Brown has been placed on leave pending an investigation.
UPDATE: Family says the man shot and killed by deputies this morning is Andrew Brown. He is a father of 10 children. @jasonmarkswavy pic.twitter.com/oHqxTXyAgW
— Jason Marks (@jasonmarkswavy) April 21, 2021
According to WKBN, Brown got into his car and began to drive away while authorities were at his home. Witnesses told the outlet they heard a deputy fire at least six shots while he was in the car. Family members said Brown had 10 children and did not own a gun.
“We’re looking for accurate answers, not fast answers,” Dare County District Attorney Andrew Womble said Wednesday.