Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten announced his department will no longer be helping Elizabeth City police protect roadways during protests. In a letter released to media outlets Wednesday afternoon, Wooten said the change will take effect Saturday.
Andrew Brown was shot and killed by Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office deputies on April 21
Since the shooting, protesters have gathered nightly in Elizabeth City
As of Saturday, PCSO Sheriff Tommy Wooten says his office will no longer offer aid for the demonstrations
The news comes more than two months after the death of Andrew Brown Jr. On April 21, deputies with the PCSO drove to Brown's residence to serve search and arrest warrants.
Instead of walking away in handcuffs, Brown was killed by a gunshot to the back of the head as he tried to flee in his car.
In the statement released Wednesday, Wooten says: "Our Office has worked with our neighboring agency, the Elizabeth City Police Department in providing assistance with daily protests since the event. Being 64 days past the event, I have decided that it's time to resume normal operations. The Office and I took an Oath to serve our community as a whole and we intend to do just that. I understand that the Office and I need to work and focus on rebuilding relationships within our community; trust between law enforcement and its community is paramount."
Days after Brown was killed, Elizabeth City Manager Montre Freeman declared a state of emergency in order for city officials to use reserve funds to pay their police officers working long hours to protect the streets. At one point in late April, Freeman said the city was spending thousands of dollars daily to safely secure the streets. The city did require most people hoping to march to file a request before granting permits to any potential protesters.
Speaking to the media in May, District Attorney Andrew Womble said Brown used his car as a deadly weapon as he tried to escape deputies. The district attorney played clips from body camera footage that showed Brown trying to drive across an open lot before he was shot in the back of the head.
Womble said his office would not seek charges against any of the deputies. Earlier this month, the governor, state attorney general and legislators met with civil rights groups and Elizabeth City community leaders to discuss the case. A federal civil rights investigation has also been launched.
In early June, Sheriff Wooten announced a second deputy was resigning after the shooting.
In his statement Wednesday, Wooten implied the protests had become too disruptive. “By the City of Elizabeth City’s continued issuance of permits, they have allowed and encouraged daily protests by a very small group of our community to hinder the lives of our citizens. The First Amendment provides the right to peaceably assemble; however, it does not provide the right to block roadways nor does it provide the right to a law enforcement escort."
The sheriff then says that starting this Saturday, his office will no longer assist with the daily protests.
At the time this article was published, Elizabeth City Manager Freeman was notified of the sheriff’s release. He was in a meeting with other city officials and could not comment on the matter.