A sheriff’s deputy in North Carolina fatally shot a man in his vehicle on Wednesday after attempting to serve a warrant, officials say.
Deputies were serving a search warrant at approximately 8:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Perry Street in Elizabeth City when Andrew Brown, 40, got into his car and started driving away, according to Sheriff Tommy Wooten. The deputy then fired six to eight shots, neighbors said.
SUSPECTED LONG ISLAND GUNMAN HAD ‘UNEVENTFUL’ MEETING WITH SUPERVISOR PRIOR TO SHOOTING
During a press conference held Wednesday afternoon, Wooten confirmed the deputy was unharmed and placed on administrative leave following the incident. The sheriff said he never experienced another officer-involved shooting during his 16 years in law enforcement.
Special agent Misha Rogers said it’s “very early” in the investigation, so she could not reveal any information about potential criminal charges. Officials pledged to reach “accurate” rather than “fast” answers in the case.
Brown, a father of 10, did not carry a gun, according to his family. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has been called in to handle the incident, according to police.
Keith Rivers, the president of the Pasquotank NAACP, told WAVY that he came to the scene “to make sure that the facts are clearly disseminated” and to “ensure … that [authorities] release information.”
“If there was any wrongdoing, the community has a right to know,” Rivers said, adding, “The longer we hold critical information … creates and adds to an intense situation.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Rivers said the crowd gathering behind him to mourn Brown’s death was “justifiable.”
“We’re in riot mode. … The sheriff needs to address these people,” he said while calling for accountability in Pasquotank County.
There will be an emergency Elizabeth City council meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday night.
