On Tuesday, the FBI confirmed there will be a federal civil rights investigation into the death of Andrew Brown Jr.
Brown, 42, was fatally shot by police last week during an arrest in North Carolina.
The announcement comes just one day after the family and their attorneys were allowed to view a 20-second video of the arrest. The video reportedly shows Brown was shot in the back of the head while his hands were on the steering wheel. Brown was shot four additional times in his right arm, according to a private autopsy.
“The FBI Charlotte Field Office has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the police-involved shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr.,” a spokesman for the FBI said. “Agents will work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice to determine whether federal laws were violated.”
Attorneys for the family have condemned Brown’s killing and are calling for more footage to be released. Officials have said they have requested a judge give permission for more of the video to be released. Due to a 2016 state law regarding body-cam footage, only private viewing by family members is permitted. The law requires a judge to grant permission for public release.
The family has said that from what they have seen, there was no justification for the shooting. Brown’s son, Khalil Ferebee, told reporters his father had been “executed.”
In addition to the FBI investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the shooting.
The fatal shooting of Brown occurred just one day after the guilty verdict was handed down in Derek Chauvin’s trial. The former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd.
