Al Sharpton, George Floyd family members speak at Elizabeth City funeral for Andrew Brown

Al Sharpton, George Floyd family members speak at Elizabeth City funeral for Andrew Brown
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Civil rights activist Al Sharpton repeatedly roused the crowd Monday at Andrew Brown’s funeral, calling for a stop to police shootings of Black men.

“This must stop,” he preached from the pulpit of Fountain of Life Church in Elizabeth City. “Enough is enough. How many funerals do we have to have.”

Sharpton spoke for about 20 minutes. The crowd of about 400 cheered and many stood with raised fists and voiced approval to many of his declarations.

Brown’s family members spoke briefly, as did relatives of George Floyd, the whose death by Minneapolis police has sparked protests nationwide over the past year.

Attorneys for Brown’s family, including Ben Crump and Bakari Sellers, also addressed the crowd. The services concluded after two hours with North Carolina civil rights activist William Barber speaking briefly.

Brown was shot in the back of the head April 21 as he tried to drive away from Pasquotank County deputies attempting to execute a search warrant at his home on Perry Street. Protesters have taken to the streets and held rallies every day since.

Sharpton compared delays to releasing body-cam videos of the shooting to the game in which street performers move a hidden object under cups.

He called for the videos to be released right away. A judge ruled last week that the family could see the videos, but that they would not be released to the public for at least 30 days while the shooting is investigated.

Sharpton also criticized Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina for his remarks following a recent speech by President Joe Biden. Scott, who is Black, said America is not racist.

There were lighter moments during the services such as when a group of young girls sang a hymn while accompanied by a band that included a saxophone player. The congregation cheered loudly when they finished.

Protesters have marched on the Elizabeth City streets and occupied busy intersections since the day of the shooting. Brown’s family and their attorneys have emphasized keeping the protests peaceful and, so far, they have been.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI are separately looking into whether the deputies were justified in shooting Brown.

District Attorney Andrew Womble said in a hearing that Brown made contact with deputies with his car before trying to drive away from his home. The sheriff’s department had been investigating Brown for more than a year for allegedly dealing drugs.

H.P. Williams, attorney for the deputies, said at a hearing last week, that the shooting was justified.

Brown’s family attorneys have called it an execution and that Brown was unarmed, trying to get away and posing no threat to the officers.

Jeff Hampton, 757-446-2090, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com