Fox News Flash top headlines for April 27
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The FBI has opened a civil rights probe into the police-involved death of Andrew Brown Jr. in North Carolina last week.
"The FBI Charlotte Field Office has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the police involved shooting death of Andrew Brown, Jr. 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," the FBI announced Tuesday afternoon."As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further."
An independent autopsy contracted by the attorneys representing the family of the North Carolina man revealed that he was shot five times – four times in the right arm, and a fifth in the back of his skull.
Ben Crump, the high-profile civil rights attorney who secured the $27 million settlement in Minneapolis for the family of George Floyd, said at a press conference on Tuesday that Brown suffered a "kill shot to back of the head." Attorney Wayne Kendall further explained that the independent autopsy showed four non-fatal bullet wounds to Brown’s right arm and a fatal shot to the back of the head.
Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten said that private autopsy "is just one piece of the puzzle" and that he wants answers "as much as the public does." Gov. Roy Cooper separately called for an independent investigation into the matter.
FAST FACTS
- Andrew Brown Jr. was shot and killed by Pasquotank County sheriff deputies last week as they were trying to serve an arrest warrant
- The FBI announced a federal civil rights investigation Tuesday afternoon, and N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper has called for a special prosecutor
- Brown's family and attorneys announced that an independent autopsy determined he had been killed by a shot to the back of the head
- Brown was a drug dealer with a long criminal history
- Seven Pasquotank deputies have been placed on leave in connection with the shooting
A copy of the independent autopsy obtained by Fox News said it was conducted by Dr. Brent Hall on Monday. The gunshot wound entered the back of the head and sequentially perforated and penetrated the skull and brain, the report said. The trajectory was listed as bottom to top, left to right and back to front. The bullet did not exit the back of his head.
A state of emergency has been declared in Elizabeth City and schools are to remain closed this week, as protests have continued daily since the shooting.
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