District attorney says he has not spoken with Brown’s family about findings of state investigation
Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble showed images from body camera footage of how the encounter between Andrew Brown Jr. and officers took place.
A deputy approached Brown’s car from the passenger side, according to Womble, and Brown was holding up his phone when law enforcement approached.
“Brown threw the phone down and began to rapidly back his car away from the officers. Deputy Lunsford’s hand was still on the driver’s door handle as Brown’s car reversed and the handle was snatched out of his hand. At this moment, Deputy Lunsford yelled out and Deputy Lunsford was pulled over the hood of Brown’s vehicle, where his body and his safety equipment were struck by the vehicle. Deputy Lunsford’s left arm was squarely on the hood. Deputy Lunsford took evasive action to get out of the way of the front left tire of Brown’s vehicle,” Womble said.
Womble said that law enforcement demands got “more heated,” and Brown did not stop his car.
“As Brown’s car starts forward, Deputy Lunsford was now positioned directly in front of the vehicle and all officers were shouting commands to stop. Brown ignored the commands and drove directly at Deputy Lunsford,” according to Womble.
“According to the North Carolina Justice Academy forensic analyst Casson Reynolds, the first shot was fired by Sergeant Meads, and it entered the front windshield of Mr. Brown’s car,” Womble said, repeating the statement.
Several more shots were fired, with one striking Brown in the shoulder and others entering the car.
Brown accelerated across an empty lot, then “narrowly missed” striking a van operated by investigators, according to Womble.
His car struck a tree, and “the county team gave chase, removed Brown from the driver’s seat and life-saving efforts were immediately begun,” Womble said.
Some more background: In the aftermath of the shooting, Pasquotank Sheriff Tommy Wooten put seven deputies on administrative leave. He has since reinstated four deputies he said did not fire their weapons. The three who did fire remain on leave.
Members of Brown’s family were allowed by a court order to view some body camera footage of his death, but they and members of the community have called for the public release of the videos.
CNN’s Madeline Holcombe and Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post.
