ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Activists in Elizabeth City are taking their fight for justice to the nation's capital, after meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Demonstrators march the streets of Elizabeth City nightly, and on Wednesday, a group traveled two-and-a-half hours to sit down with Governor Roy Cooper, State Attorney General Josh Stein, and members of the legislative Black Caucus.
The group, led by local NAACP leaders, wants a federal probe into the death of Andrew Brown Jr.
“Outstanding. Uplifting. Rejuvenated. Re-energized," said Pasquotank County NAACP chapter president Keith Rivers of the meeting.
In April, Pasquotank County Deputies killed Brown while serving an arrest warrant. District Attorney Andrew Womble determined the shooting was justified, but civil rights activists disagree, want accountability, and continue to hold rallies across the state.
“The Governor continued to express his belief that federal officials should continue to investigate this shooting and that special prosecutors should handle cases of police shootings," read a statement from Gov. Cooper's office Wednesday. "The Governor also expressed his support of a change in state law to increase public access to incident footage including body camera footage.”
On Thursday, the group will travel to Washington D.C. to meet with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Rivers said they will hand over 2,000 signatures to expedite a federal investigation into Brown's death and to open a pattern and practice civil rights probe into the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s office and the district attorney’s office.
According to Rivers, North Carolina lawmakers were receptive of their message Wednesday and Cooper pledged to travel to Elizabeth City at their request.
“(We told him) come to Elizabeth City and tell everyone in Elizabeth City what we heard you say in Raleigh," he said. "And they said they would come."