related to shooting in Elizabeth City NC
Media companies to seek release of body cam footage at hearing
https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/media-companies-to-seek-release-of-body-cam-footage-at-hearing/article_20b0b2d4-b343-5301-8340-89f37018b339.html
By Julian Eure Managing Editor 37 min ago
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Twenty media organizations, including the parent company of The Daily Advance, are headed to court this morning to ask a judge to release body camera footage of Pasquotank County deputies' fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. last week.
Superior Court Judge Jeff Foster will preside at the hearing which will be held in Courtroom A at the Pasquotank County Courthouse starting at 10 a.m.
In addition to media representatives, Brown's family members, their attorneys and law enforcement personnel are expected to attend.
Michael J. Tadych, an attorney with the Stevens Martin & Tadych law firm in Raleigh, will be representing the plaintiffs who petitioned for the body camera footage's release on Monday.
Tadych, who represents media clients, said Tuesday his clients will be seeking all body camera, dashboard camera, cell phone video, fixed camera recordings compiled by law enforcement from the time of deputies' arrival at Brown's residence on April 21 until later that day when spontaneous protests of Brown's death began outside City Hall and later in the parking lot of the Pasquotank County Public Safety Building.
On Tuesday, footage from one of Elizabeth City's static neighborhood cameras was released to several media organizations, including The Daily Advance. It shows what appears to be seven deputies arriving by pickup truck in front of Brown's residence on Perry Street. The deputies are seen jumping out of the truck but nothing else of what happened afterward can be observed clearly.
On Monday, Pasquotank County allowed Brown's family members and one of their attorneys to view a 20-second clip from one body camera of Brown's fatal shooting by deputies.
Tadych said his clients are seeking the full release of all video footage compiled by law enforcement during Brown's fatal shooting.
Tadych, who has argued in court for the public release of body camera footage approximately 33 times, didn't know how Foster would rule in today's case. But he said judges typically rule in favor of release.
In those 33 cases, only one time did a judge not grant his media clients' full request, he said. In the five cases that involved officer-involved shootings, the presiding judge granted the full request, he said.
Also taking place in Elizabeth City today will be a "Procession of Peace" march led by local clergy members.
The march, which is open to local clergy as well as citizens, will begin at Mount Lebanon AME Zion Church at 320 Culpepper Street at noon and proceed to the intersection of Roanoke and Brooks avenues, where Brown was shot and killed by deputies on April 21.