‘Say his name.’ Scenes from NC city after Black man killed by sheriff’s deputy

“Say his name,” they chanted.

As the sun went down over Elizabeth City, North Carolina, more than 100 people still lined the streets outside, holding signs saying “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.”

The peaceful protesters decried the death of 42-year-old Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man shot and killed by a Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputy on Wednesday morning while authorities were serving a search warrant. Sheriff Tommy Wooten has released few other details, including what the warrant was for, nor how many shots were fired at Brown.

Wooten said the deputy involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on administrative leave, and the State Bureau of Investigation will take over the case.

Meanwhile, protesters called for the release of body-camera footage from the shooting. Wooten said he wants to be transparent but didn’t provide a timeline for when the footage will be released.

Here’s a look at scenes from Elizabeth City after Brown’s killing.

City Council holds meeting after shooting

Hundreds gathered outside an emergency City Council meeting. Law enforcement officers blocked the doors to the building as protesters gathered with signs.

Inside the meeting, the City Council pointed out that the sheriff’s office, not the Elizabeth City police force, was responsible for the fatal shooting of Brown.

Councilman Gabriel Adkin acknowledged the killing and protesters, saying many in the city are hurting.

“I’m afraid as a Black man walking around this city, driving my car down the road, trying to make sure that I’m driving the speed limit, trying to make sure that I wear my seat belt, trying to make sure that do everything right,” he said.

NPR nation correspondent Sarah McCammon was also on scene in Elizabeth City, posting photos from the City Council meeting on Instagram.

Earlier Wednesday, McCammon spoke with Daqul Alexander, who led a memorial for Brown in the neighborhood where the shooting took place.

Behind him, children stood solemnly and another man held a sign: “Togetherness, Unity, Equality.”

Peaceful protesters take to the street for answers

With the crowd swelling to about 200, protesters took to Elizabeth Street with signs and megaphones. They blocked traffic and chanted, “No justice, no peace.”

Later in the evening, the protesters kneeled in the street, demanding that authorities release more information. Many wore masks, and all of them held their hands in their air.

George Floyd killing

Brown’s death came the day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on two murder charges and a manslaughter charge in the 2020 death of George Floyd.

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it will investigate the Minneapolis Police Department over possible patterns of excessive force.

Many North Carolina leaders praised the jury’s decision, and some said they hoped the guilty verdict would lead to more justice for minority communities.

“We are glad for the victory; we are glad for the jury, but we have a long road ahead toward changing policy in our city,” said Sehila Alamin-Khashoggi, chair of Raleigh’s police advisory board. “We are hoping that we can move forward from here and be able to change some of those policies that affect our Black and brown communities.”