RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/WAVY) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is again speaking out as the Pasquotank County sheriff's deputies responsible for shooting Andrew Brown Jr. will not be charged as the county's prosecutor deemed their actions as "justified".
The governor says that federal officials should "continue to thoroughly investigate" the shooting of Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City.
Back in April, Cooper called for a special prosecutor to be brought in to handle all matters regarding the shooting in Pasquotank County in “the interest of justice and confidence in the judicial system.”
"Public confidence would have been better served with a special prosecutor and by quickly making public the incident footage," Cooper said in a statement Tuesday.
Cooper says that North Carolina lawmakers need to pass specific laws to increase transparency, confidence and accountability in the justice system.
Pasquotank County District Attorney R. Andrew Womble said the three deputies that fired their weapons, Investigator Daniel Meads, Deputy Robert Morgan and Cpl. Aaron Lewellyn, won’t face charges.
“While tragic, the shooting of Mr. Brown was justified due to his actions,” Womble said.
The three deputies that fired their weapons at Brown will keep their jobs, however, Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said in a video Tuesday afternoon that they will be retrained and disciplined.
Wooten said two deputies didn’t turn on their body cameras, which he said was “unacceptable.” He also said they’ll also be disciplined for not having emergency medical services on standby.
“This was a terrible and tragic outcome,” Wooten said about the shooting. “We can do better.”
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