North Carolina civil rights activists and religious leaders will hold rallies in seven cities Tuesday in protest of the Andrew Brown shooting.
The rallies will begin at 5 p.m. in Elizabeth City, Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, according to a release from Repairers of the Breach, a not-for-profit organization based in Goldsboro.
Marches have been held at 5 p.m. daily in Elizabeth City since Brown was killed April 21 by Pasquotank County deputies as he tried to drive away from his home.
The Elizabeth City rally will begin at the Pasquotank County Public Safety building.
The marches have remained nonviolent as groups of about 50 to 100 people have walked Elizabeth City’s streets, carrying signs and chanting for justice. Police have blocked streets into the evening to reduce clashes with traffic.
A woman was charged with two counts of assault May 25 after she pulled into a street that was reserved for marchers, bumping into two women with her vehicle. The women were treated and released with minor injuries.
Pasquotank County deputies were attempting to search Brown’s house and car for drugs and arrest him at his home when he attempted to drive away. Deputies fired at him 14 times, with one bullet fatally striking him in the back of the head.
Following an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, District Attorney Andrew Womble said the shooting was justified in a press conference May 18.
He cited Brown’s long criminal history, including assaults on officers, and the danger of Brown using his car as a weapon to hurt the deputies. His decision has been a rallying point for protesters.
The FBI is also conducting an investigation.
Jeff Hampton, 757-446-2090, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com
