i
Attorney: Andrew Brown Jr. Shot 5 Times
BY REGGIE PONDER
The Daily Advance
After viewing an independent
autopsy report on the death of
Andrew Brown Jr. in addition to
20 seconds of body camera foot
age from the April 21 shooting
by Pasquotank County deputies,
attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter
described the shooting as an “as
sassination.”
“It was an assassination of this
unarmed Black man and this is
painful,” Cheriy-Lassiter said Tues
day morning at a news conference
alongside members of Brown’s
family and other members of their
legal team.
Khalil Ferebee, the son of An
drew Brown Jr., mentioned that he
had said on Monday that his father
had been “executed” — and said
information from the independent
autopsy report shows he was cor
rect.
“It’s obvious he was frying to get
away,” Ferebee said.
Although attorneys said the foot ¬
age viewed Monday shows Brown
driving away, attorney Harry Dan
iels said some of the first shots
seem to have been fired when he
was not fleeing, as he sat in his
parked car with his hands on the
steering wheel.
Daniels said deputies continued
to shoot as Brown was attempting
to drive away.
Attorney Wayne Kendall said the
autopsy shows four bullet wounds
to Brown’s right arm that appear
to have occurred while he had his
arms on the steering wheel of his
car.
The fifth wound is to the back of
the head, he said.
“That is the fatal bullet wound,”
Kendall said. He said the shot was
fired at Brown as he was in his car
trying to evade being shot by offi
cers.
About eight members of a Black
Panther group who attended the
press conference periodically
shouted over the attorneys, claim
ing that courtroom justice was use
less. “The streets will get justice,”
they shouted.
Responding to insults directed
at him and also speaking to the
larger community, attorney Bakari
Sellers said he doesn’t care wheth
er people like him or whether they
are Black or while, Democrat or
Republican.
“You just have to have a beating
heart to know this is an injustice,”
Sellers said. “We demand justice
for Andrew Brown and his family.”
Sheriff Tommy Wooten, whose
deputies shot and killed Brown
while serving arrest and search
warrants, released a statement fol
lowing the Brown family attorneys’
press conference.
“I want answers about what hap
pened as much as the public does,”
he said. “The private autopsy re
leased by the family is important
and I continue to pray for them
during this difficult time. However,
a private autopsy is just one piece
of the puzzle. The independent in-
vestigation being performed by the
See BROWN, A3
BY CHRIS DAY/THE DAILY ADVANCE
Attorney Wayne Kendall holds both hands up to illustrate how
Andrew Brown Jr. was struck four times by bullets fired by
Pasquotank County deputies while Brown had both hands on the
steering wheel of his vehicle, at a press conference outside the
Pasquotank County Public Safety Building, Tuesday morning.
Town Clerk
Suing
County
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hetford Town Clerk Olga Simp
son is engaged in an ongoing le
gal battle against the Perquimans
County Commission among other
officials regarding how a general
contractor paid through govern
ment funds damaged her home on
Ocean Highway.
Filed in September of 2020,
Simpson and her husband Charles’
lawsuit claims the defendants
breached their legal duty by not
holding the contractor Theodore
Holley accountable for his work
and then paying him. Lawsuit said
the money to pay for the repairs
came from the NC Housing Fi
nance Agency.
“The NC Housing Finance
Agency also breached various
provisions of the rehabilitation
contract by improperly dispersing
funds when the contractor’s work
was defective, or poor quality and
incomplete,” the lawsuit claims.
“Defendants actions resulted in
defective construction, property
damage, decreased property val
ue and emotional distress that re
mains to the present.”
See SUING, A3
God’s Glory
PIRiT & CJRUTH
Overcomes Tragedy ,
Spirit and Truth United
• Methodist Church’s
Congregation Returns Home
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
WINFALL - About a year af
ter a fire destroyed a house of
God, Spirit and Truth United
Methodist Church’s congrega
tion returned home to worship
for the first time on Sunday.
In March 2020, a fire that
damaged the interior of the
church was set deliberately,
the Perquimans County fire
marshal said.
Pastor Arthur Manigault
said the church was vandal
ized, equipment was stolen,
and then the church suffered
$300,000 worth of damage
because it was set on fire.
The perpetrators were never
caught.
“Things happen for a reason
and the way we look it, the per
son who did this is a person
who is crying out for help,” he
said. “We just hope to one day
to run into them to try and pro
vide the help that they need.”
Since the fire, this faithful
See CHURCH, A3
PHOTO BY CONNIE BROTHERS
A large crowd of faithful souls attended Sunday’s worship
service - first time the congregation has celebrated God’s love
in their home sanctuary since March of 2020.
Durants Neck Ruritan Club Continues Work
Round-up
McMullan &
Biggs’ Golf
Tourney
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A round-up of all things Per
quimans County...
Special emergency
meeting of Hertford Town
Council to discuss personnel
issues netted nothing - no action
taken when
council emerged
after at least 45
minutes in closed
session.
In other news,
I saw Council
man Quentin
Jackson’s face
when study
ing video and
MCMULLAN
photographs of recent protests
in Elizabeth City. No wonder
Friday’s council meeting was
short - Jackson didn’t attend. But
to be fair, Jackson serves as the
regional director of the National
Black Caucus of local elected
officials. Given current events, his
voice was needed elsewhere.
The Town of Hertford is
accepting contract bid propos
als for mowing Cedarwood and
roadside cemeteries, Missing
Mill and Tree Memorial Parks
and right-of-way on Service Road
1420. Concerned citizens deserve
BY DANIEL TREVORS
For the Perquimans Weekly
It was with heavy hearts that the
Durants Neck Ruritan Club Board
of Directors decided in March of
2020 to suspend its regular Club
meetings due to concerns of
Covid 19. This decision was made
12 more times canceling regular
meetings until March of 2021.
During this year of meeting
See RURITAN, A3
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Despite the pandemic, Durants Neck Ruritan Club has stayed busy this past year and club forecasts
a busy 2021. Pictured (left to right) are club members distributing food. (Dale Trevors, Chuck Olean,
Dan Gurganus, Kim Harcum, Joyce Gurganus, Rose Thomas, Lynn Mathis, Cindy Berrio, Rich Lodge,
Jerry Harcum, Nancy Lodge and Dan Trevors). Scholarships for 2021 will be awarded in June.
89076 47144
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Vol. 87, No. 18
www.PerquimansWeekly.com
@2021 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
See ROUND-UP, A3
SCREENSHOT