North Carolina News – April 28

North Carolina News – April 28

BC-US-NORTH-CAROLINA-DEPUTY-SHOOTING

Prosecutor says man killed by deputies hit them with car

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina prosecutor says that a Black man killed by deputies hit law enforcement officers with his car before they opened fire. District Attorney Andrew Womble told a judge at a hearing Wednesday that he viewed body camera video and disagreed with a characterization by attorneys for the family of Andrew Brown Jr. that his car was stationary when the shooting started. Womble said the video shows that Brown’s car made contact with law enforcement twice before shots could be heard on the video.

AP-US-NORTH-CAROLINA-DEPUTY-SHOOTING

FBI starts probe into death of Black man killed by deputies

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — The FBI has launched a civil rights probe into the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man killed by deputies in North Carolina. The announcement on Tuesday came hours after Brown’s family released an independent autopsy showing he was shot five times, including in the back of the head. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also called for a special prosecutor as pressure built on local officials to release body camera footage of last week’s shooting. A local judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday to consider formal requests to make the video public.

AP-US-ELECTION-2022-SENATE-NORTH-CAROLINA

Rep. Ted Budd enters North Carolina U.S. Senate race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd has announced his bid to become the state’s next U.S. Senator. He’s looking to fill an open seat being left by GOP Sen. Richard Burr. Budd presently faces competition from Republicans former Rep. Mark Walker and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory. Budd called the Senate “the last line of defense” for Republicans and is looking to tip the chamber’s balance back in favor of Republicans. State Sen. Jeff Jackson and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley are the top Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for the 2022 election.

DEPUTY SHOOTING-FUNERAL

Andrew Brown Jr. funeral set for Monday with Sharpton eulogy

A funeral will be held next week for Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man shot and killed by North Carolina deputies, with the Rev. Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy.  Lawyers for Brown’s family said that the funeral will be held Monday in Elizabeth City. Other details of the arrangements were still being settled. Brown was shot and killed last week by Pasquotank County deputies serving drug-related search and arrest warrants. Relative Lee Ferebee said Brown’s family asked Sharpton to deliver the eulogy because they felt the civil rights leader would honor his legacy.

DOG-ATTACK-CHILD-KILLED

7-year-old girl dies after dog attack in North Carolina

GARNER, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say a 7-year-old girl has died and her mother remains hospitalized following a dog attack. Garner Police said in a statement that the mother was watching two dogs Tuesday while the owners were out of town when the animals attacked her and her daughter in the owners’ yard. A police spokeswoman says the two were taken to a hospital where the child died from her injuries and the woman is now in stable condition. Wake County Animal Control has seized the dogs and taken them to an animal shelter. Authorities haven’t identified the victims. The circumstances surrounding the attack aren’t immediately clear.

JUVENILE-SLAYING-SUSPECT

North Carolina police: Child, 12, charged in father’s death

BURNSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A 12-year-old in North Carolina has been charged with first-degree murder in his father’s killing. A Yancey County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy told news outlets that the child fatally shot his 37-year-old father at the trailer they lived in near Burnsville on Monday evening. The victim has been identified as Vernal Kilburn. Investigators say they recovered a rifle in the trailer where the family lived. The juvenile has not been named because he is underage. Officials say he has been taken to a juvenile justice facility. Authorities haven’t commented further on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Senate Republicans OK bill with election settlement in mind

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Senate Republicans still angry over a legal settlement reached between the State Board of Elections and a group over counting 2020 election absentee ballots have approved legislation with the agreement in mind. The measure was approved in a party-line vote by the full Senate on Tuesday. It says the attorney general can’t enter into settlements involving certain types of litigation in which top legislative leaders are parties unless those leaders first sign off on them. Democrats say the settlement was lawful and doesn’t meet the definition of “collusive.” The bill now goes to the House after a party-line floor vote.

PUBLIC RECORDS-PERSONNEL

More government worker info public in N Carolina Senate bill

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation has cleared a Senate committee that would make more details public about the personnel history of North Carolina state and local government employees. The measure is backed by the North Carolina Press Association. It would expand information that government employers would have to disclose to the media or citizens to include descriptions of why a worker was demoted, suspended or transferred.  A press association attorney told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that 35 other states already require that level of disclosure. The committee recommended the measure even as some members worried aloud about potential unintended consequences.

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