Pasquotank County District Attorney R. Andrew Womble announced on Tuesday that the deputies who fatally shot a Black man fleeing an arrest in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, last month were justified in their actions.
“While tragic, the shooting of Mr. Brown was justified because Mr. Brown’s actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others,” Womble said.
Anthony Brown Jr., 42, was fatally shot on April 21 as deputies served a drug-related warrant for his arrest. His death came just a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, and was followed by calls for footage of the shooting to be made public.