Black councilman says police urinated on property in response to protest
“Since this case with Andrew Brown, I’ve been out protesting,” said Councilman Gabriel Adkins.
A councilman caught an officer on video urinating on his property.
Councilman Gabriel Adkins of Elizabeth City, North Carolina recently said the officer committed the foul act in retaliation to him speaking out against the fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. at the hands of police last month.
“Since this case with Andrew Brown, I’ve been out protesting,” the councilman told The News & Observer on Monday. “I really feel like they are retaliating back against me. Maybe they didn’t know I had surveillance, but it’s a funeral home.”
Three deputies are on leave after Brown, 42, was shot and killed on April 21. Pasquotank County deputies arrived at the victim’s Elizabeth City home to serve a search warrant connected to a drug investigation.
Read More: Prosecutor says deputies who killed Andrew Brown Jr. justified
As reported by theGrio, an independent autopsy ordered by Brown’s family found that he was shot five times, including in the back of the head. The autopsy was performed by North Carolina-based Dr. Brent Hall, a pathologist who noted the gunshot to the back of Brown’s head from an undetermined distance that penetrated his skull and brain with no exit wound.
“It was a kill shot to the back of the head,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
The family’s lawyers also released a copy of the death certificate, which lists the cause of death as a “penetrating gunshot wound of the head.” It describes the death as a homicide.
Protests erupted in the city as residences called for justice. Adkins posted videos of himself participating in the marches on Facebook. He also released the video of the officer urinating to the social media site.
Adkins said that the video taken on Friday shows the officer lingered on the property for minutes. He now fears for his own life.
“I’m just getting real worried I might be the next target, or they’re trying to set me up,” he told The News & Observer. “On top of it being a crime.”
Read More: Andrew Brown Jr.’s family respond to viewing extended bodycam footage
He added that he reached out to Sheriff Tommy Wooten but the call went to voicemail.
As reported by theGrio, prosecutors are calling the shooting justified. District Attorney Andrew Womble said deadly force against Brown was necessary because he drove his car into one of the officers. But the body camera footage released to the family showed that the victim was not armed, did not pose a threat or drive his car toward the officers.
The FBI has launched a civil rights probe of the incident.
TheGrio reported Brown was laid to rest on May 3rd in Elizabeth City as the investigation into his death, nationwide calls for justice and transparency continue. The invite-only event tasked Reverend Al Sharpton with delivering the eulogy. During his speech, he demanded law enforcement release the video that shows the full picture of the circumstances which resulted in officers shooting Brown Jr. multiple times, including in the back of the head.
“I know a con game when I see it. Release the whole tape and let the folks see what happened to Andrew Brown,” Sharpton said to loud applause. He added: “You don’t need time to get a tape out. Put it out! Let the world see what there is to see. If you’ve got nothing to hide, then what are you hiding?”
Additional reporting by DeMicia Inman
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