Family of Unarmed Man Who Was Shot and Killed by Officers, Wins $3 Million Settlement

The family of an unarmed man who was fatally shot by deputies while sitting in his car, won $3 million in a settlement.

Andrew Brown was killed on April 21, 2021 by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies arrived at Brown’s home in North Carolina to execute drug-related warrants. Deputies surrounded Brown, who was sitting in his BMW. The BMW backed up and moved forward before the officers fired several shots into his vehicle, killing him.

Following his death, Brown’s family filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed Brown’s death was due to “intentional and reckless disregard of his life.”

The District Attorney justified the actions of the officers, saying that Brown used his car as a “deadly weapon” which caused deputies to use deadly force.

Lawyers for the Brown family, however, argued that he was trying to drive away from the deputies, not towards them. They noted that the body camera footage from the shooting shows Brown with his hands on the wheel and the car stationary when the first shot was fired.

The $3 million settlement the family reached was the highest amount possible from the county’s insurance policy. The agreement came after several weeks in court last month.

One stipulation of the settlement is that the family is to dismiss any claims against the officers involved. It also prevents any future claims to be filed regarding Brown’s death.

Brown’s children will share the settlement as heirs of his estate.