More details continue to emerge regarding the death of 42-year-old father Andrew Brown Jr. was killed by police in Elizabeth City, North Carolina earlier this month. According to statements from his attorneys and his family, Brown Jr. was unarmed and following police instructions when he was shot five times. It appears that body camera footage of the fatal shooting will be released in the near future, but it is unclear when that time will come. In the meantime, the Brown family has made arrangements for Andrew Brown Jr.'s funeral as well as issue updates regarding the investigation of the shooting. Not to mention, a number of high-profile civil rights attorneys have traveled to North Carolina to represent Brown Jr.
It appears that Brown Jr. will be represented by some of the brightest minds in civil rights law. Leading the way, Ben Crump has traveled the North Carolina city to join the Brown family. Also, Chantel Cherry-Lassiter of the Southern Justice Coalition has spoken on behalf of the family. Rounding out the trio of civil rights attorneys, Bakari Sellers has joined the Browns in Elizabeth City. Sellers is best known as a political commentator on CNN and former state legislator, but he is also a practicing civil rights attorney. He made his presence felt yesterday during a press conference with the Brown family.
"I wish we had a week where Black folk weren’t just dying at the hands of law enforcement," he told reporters.
"I say often that only in this country, can you have the trial of Derek Chauvin be interrupted by the death of Daunte Wright, be interrupted by the death of Adam Toledo, be interrupted by the death of Ma’Khia Bryant, and now we find ourselves here in Elizabeth City. And so I’m tired."
As Sellers began to assess the situation and assist the family, he began to have issues with county attorneys. During a meeting with Pasquotank County Attorney R. Michael Cox, Sellers said he was talked to in a way that he had never been talked to before by a county attorney. He also said that Cox used profanity toward him and the Browns.
"We went back and forth, and I just wanted to say I've never been talked to like I was talked to in there," Sellers said.
"I don't know his name, but I went to the back, and — I know that we’re live on the news around the world, so I will say that Mr. Cox told me, a grown Black man, that he was not f---ing going to be bullied. And so I walked out."
Moving forward, Crump, Sellers and Cherry-Lassiter will put pressure on Elizabeth City officials to release the full body camera video of what took place. Thus far, attorneys and family members have only seen 20 seconds of the fatal encounter.
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