The family of Andrew Brown Jr., who was shot and killed by deputies in North Carolina last year, has reached a settlement with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office.
A $30 million civil rights lawsuit had been filed by Brown’s family last year, per a report from the Associated Press, with involved officers having been said to have displayed an “intentional and reckless disregard” for the 42-year-old’s life.
Brown was fatally shot by deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office in April of last year. Initially, it was claimed that Brown was using his vehicle as a weapon, at which point deputies responded by opening fire. Lawyers representing the family, however, noted that Brown was actually driving away from the officers. Additionally, it was later revealed that Brown’s car—per body cam video—was stationary at the time of the first gunshot fired by officers.
In a press release shared Monday evening by one of the civil rights attorneys representing the family, it was announced that a settlement had been reached in the amount of $3 million. The Pasquotank County’s insurance policy will pay $2 million, while the other $1 million will be provided by a “special appropriation” approved by county commissioners.
The payment, per the press release, will “resolve any and all potential liability against the individual officers named as defendants in the lawsuit.” Last May, Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble announced his decision to not bring charges against the officers involved in shooting and killing Brown.
In a joint statement to WTKR on Monday from the attorneys representing Brown’s family, he was remembered as a “devoted father” who worked hard to provide for his children.
“While no settlement could ever fill the hole his death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those children’s futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didn’t die with their father,” the attorneys said.
