Reverend Al Sharpton, who says Brown’s death is part of ‘continual abuse of police power’ to give eulogy.
Mourners will gather on Monday for the funeral of Andrew Brown Jr, a Black man shot dead by law enforcement agencies in North Carolina, with eulogists planning to celebrate his legacy and reflect on his life amid ongoing protests against police brutality.
The invite-only service begins at noon (16:00 GMT) at the Fountain of Life Church in Elizabeth City and follows public viewings the previous day.
Local media reported hundreds attended Brown’s viewing on Sunday. Elizabeth City saw another day of protests on Sunday which were yet to cease since Brown was killed on April 21.
Edwin and Ella Newby view a slide show of photographs from the life of Andrew Brown Jr after they paid their respects at his open coffin in a funeral home in Hertford, North Carolina on May 2, 2021 [Jonathan Drake/Reuters]
The Reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy, and other speakers will include Brown’s relatives as well as civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing Brown’s family, and the Reverend William Barber II, leader of the Poor People’s campaign.
Brown, 42, was shot dead on April 21 by deputies attempting to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants, sparking days of protests in the city in rural northeastern North Carolina.
An independent autopsy commissioned by his family found he was shot five times, including once in the back of the head.
That shot was characterised as a “kill shot” during an “execution” by Crump and other lawyers representing the family.
Details remain murky. North Carolina law requires a court order for the release of body camera footage, but a judge ruled last Wednesday it would not be immediately released.
.@RevDrBarber live now from Elizabeth City! #AndrewBrownJr Watch: https://t.co/ZHRdeG2l20 pic.twitter.com/dWxSlF6I1b
— Repairers of the Breach (@BRepairers) May 2, 2021
His death came during an ongoing national reckoning with police violence and racism in the US.
Brown’s family asked Sharpton to deliver the eulogy because they felt the civil rights leader would properly honour his legacy.
Sharpton recently delivered the eulogy for Daunte Wright, who was shot dead by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
Last year, Sharpton gave the eulogy for George Floyd, the Black man whose death sparked an international Black Lives Matter movement.
Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of unintentional murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death on April 20, the day before Brown’s death. The conviction has given hope to people pushing for police reforms.
Floyd’s family is expected to attend Brown’s funeral, along with the family of Eric Garner, whose 2014 death while in a prohibited chokehold in police custody helped coin the slogan “I Can’t Breathe”.
Sharpton told The Bioreports news agency that he wants to celebrate Brown’s life and help call attention to larger problems with policing that need to be addressed.
“I would want to get across that this is a human being. And for us, it’s part of a continual abuse of police power,” he said.
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Bioreports and news agencies
