ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Bakari Sellers, and Harry Daniels have sent a letter to Elizabeth City District Attorney Andrew Womble, requesting that he dismiss himself from the investigation into the killing of Andrew Brown Jr., by deputies.
On April 21, Andrew Brown Jr., was shot and killed while deputies served a search warrant.
A judge ordered last week that body camera footage of Andrew Brown Jr.'s shooting death while the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office attempted to serve him with an arrest warrant be disclosed to his family within 10 days.
Seven Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies were initially put on leave following Brown’s death, but four have been reinstated. Investigator Daniel Meads, Deputy Robert Morgan, and Corporal Aaron Lewellyn are still placed on administrative leave.
Attorney Ben Crump released the following statement:
“We need justice for Andrew Brown Jr., and we’ll only get that through a fair and impartial investigation. The involved officers have close relationships with District Attorney Andrew Womble, making him unfit to lead the investigation into Andrew’s killing. While we have yet to review the bodycam footage despite a judge’s order, what we do know is crystal clear: Andrew Brown Jr., was shot five times by these officers as he was driving away. We will not stop until we get answers and justice for Andrew and his family, and that begins and ends with an impartial and transparent investigation.”
Attorney Bakari Sellers released the following statement:
“We demand that District Attorney Andrew Womble remove himself from this investigation because of his ties to the Elizabeth City Sheriff’s office. Womble’s involvement would be a miscarriage of justice for Andrew Brown Jr., his family, and the people of Elizabeth City. Andrew was assassinated by these officers as he was driving away, posing little threat. As we still have yet to review the bodycam footage in this case, it’s clear that a transparent investigation is not at all guaranteed. We can’t leave anything in this case to chance - D.A. Womble must recuse himself.”
