Afternoon Observer | NC to end most COVID restrictions + police fatally shoot NC man while serving search warrant

Kristen Kornbluth
·4 min read

It’s Wednesday, Charlotte, and this is Kristen. Now through Sunday, April 25, make sure you support Charlotte’s Black-owned restaurants by attending Savor Black CLT, the inaugural spring edition of Charlotte Black Restaurant Week. Eat local, y’all — and don’t forget your masks.

Plus, while I have you here, allow me to direct your attention to our shiny new vaccine tracker. On this page, you can see how many in NC and the US are fully vaccinated, and you can find open vaccine appointments around the state in one easy dashboard. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Now, let’s talk about today’s news:

1. COVID-related restrictions in NC are likely lifting

Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday many COVID-related restrictions, including limits on businesses and distancing requirements, are expected to end June 1. The state’s mask mandate will remain in place at least through May. The current executive order expires April 30, and Cooper says we can expect a new order next week laying out safety restrictions for May.

The decision comes as more than one-third of North Carolinians are fully vaccinated — and as Mecklenburg’s COVID trends increase, as reported by the Observer’s Catherine Muccigrosso and Hannah Smoot.

“With increasing vaccinations and ongoing work to slow the spread, I anticipate we’ll be able to lift all mandatory social distancing, capacity and mass gathering restrictions by June 1,” Cooper said.

2. Police fatally shoot NC man while serving a search warrant

A North Carolina man was shot and killed by police in the town of Elizabeth City on Wednesday morning, officials said.

What we know so far:

  • Deputies were carrying out a search warrant in Elizabeth City around 8:30 a.m.

  • During the search, an officer fatally shot a man, according to officials.

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Tommy Wooten identified the man as Andrew Brown, Jr. Elizabeth City’s council plans to have an emergency meeting Wednesday evening.

3. $10K raised for Black trans women after Charlotte murders

Messages are written on a poster during a memorial for Jaida Peterson at Tuckaseegee Park on April 9, 2021. Peterson was a transgender woman in Charlotte who was found dead in a hotel room on Easter Sunday.
Messages are written on a poster during a memorial for Jaida Peterson at Tuckaseegee Park on April 9, 2021. Peterson was a transgender woman in Charlotte who was found dead in a hotel room on Easter Sunday.

LGBTQ+ community organizations around Charlotte and NC have launched an effort to support and protect Black trans women following two murders in Charlotte — and you can help. Jaida Peterson, 29, and Remy Fennell, 28, were both found dead, fatally shot, in Charlotte hotel rooms.

The details:

  • Campaign for Southern Equality, Charlotte Pride, Equality NC and Transcend Charlotte have committed $10,000.

  • The groups urge local residents and organizations to match the initial donation.

  • The funds will go to Charlotte Uprising, Feed the Movement and House of Kanautica and will be used for housing, food and other needs, representatives said.

Learn more about the initiative here with the Observer’s Devna Bose.

4. 3 former homeless camp residents have died

Three people who were living in temporary county-funded hotel rooms have died, a Mecklenburg official disclosed Tuesday. After the uptown tent encampment was dismantled in February, over 200 people were displaced and sent to the hotel rooms. The shutdown came after inspectors pointed out a rat infestation and unsafe conditions.

One person’s death was related to substance abuse. The other two people had “underlying medical conditions,” said Karen Pelletier, director of strategy, innovation and alignment for the county’s Community Support Services.

According to Pelletier, there are 168 displaced people still living in two hotels. The county plans to consolidate into a single location within the next four weeks, as reported by the Observer’s Alison Kuznitz and Lauren Lindstrom.

“It’s really one person at a time,” County Manager Dena Diorio said Wednesday. “We’re going to stick with it. Our goal is to make sure every single person that’s living in that hotel gets a place to live.”

5. Charlotte, Meck leaders condemn violence against AAPI community

An organizer of the Asian Solidarity Candlelight Vigil writes “Stop Asia Hate” on the sidewalk before the event at Marshall Park in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, March 21, 2021.
An organizer of the Asian Solidarity Candlelight Vigil writes “Stop Asia Hate” on the sidewalk before the event at Marshall Park in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, March 21, 2021.

On Tuesday, Mecklenburg County officials on Tuesday took a stand against the rise of violence against Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, pledging to defy “racism and xenophobia by building stronger relationships and supporting community-led solutions.”

County Commissioner Leigh Altman read the proclamation, issued jointly with the city of Charlotte.

”In order to address hatred and violence against those who are vulnerable, we must be willing to look inward and find solutions to the betterment of our diverse community, to set aside exclusion and to recognize the efforts of those seeking equal rights for all,” Altman read.

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