Ben Crump, Family of Andrew Brown Press Conference on Body Camera Footage Transcript April 26

Ben Crump: (04:25) I'm Attorney Ben Crump, and along with Attorney Harry Daniels and Attorney Bakari Sellers, we have the honor of representing the family of Andrew Brown. It's so important, y'all, that we not let them sweep this under the rug. Because apparently, before you all showed up, they just wanted to sweep it under the rug as they have done other brothers and sisters who have been unjustifiably killed by the people who are supposed to protect and serve us. It's so very important that we have transparency, because if we don't have transparency, we can never get to accountability. And if we never get to accountability, we can never get to healing and trust. Ben Crump: (05:21) And so if we want to heal this community, if we want to heal this family, then Sheriff Wooten, then you need to be transparent. What is it on this video that is so damning that you would risk your career and risk losing your job so the people can't see the video? What is it? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. And when we think about what we just saw happened in Minneapolis with Derek Chauvin being held criminally liable. Guilty, guilty, guilty for killing George Floyd. Is that the reason they are trying to hide the video? Crowd: (06:08) Yes. Ben Crump: (06:08) Because they don't want accountability? Crowd: (06:10) That's what it is. It happened the day after that verdict. Ben Crump: (06:14) And it's still shocking to Attorney Sellers and Attorney Daniels and I, and I'm sure y'all, why they keep killing so many unarmed Black people who are running away from them, not posing a threat, not posing any violence. Don't we have a right to due process? Crowd: (06:37) Yes. Ben Crump: (06:38) Why do the police get to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner? So what we're here for in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, while all America is watching today and all the world will be watching tomorrow, is to say, "Sheriff Wooten, you don't need to say no mo, just show the video." Crowd: (07:00) Show the video. Ben Crump: (07:04) Attorney Bakari Sellers. Crowd: (07:05) Hey, Bakari. Bakari Sellers: (07:07) Hey, how you doing? I wish we were somewhere else. I wish Ben Crump wasn't so famous. Crowd: (07:19) Yeah. Bakari Sellers: (07:21) I wish we had a week where Black folk weren't just dying at the hands of law enforcement. Ben Crump: (07:30) Amen, Bakari. Bakari Sellers: (07:30) You know, I say often that only in this country, can you have the trial of Derek Chauvin be interrupted by the death of Daunte Wright, be interrupted by the death of Adam Toledo, be interrupted by the death of Ma'Khia Bryant, and now we find ourselves here in Elizabeth City. And so I'm tired. Speaker 5: (08:01) So I'm tired, but not very often in my legal career do I get the eyes of all of you all. You know what else I'm tired of doing? I'm tired of grieving and crying. I'm tired of seeing the videos, then we protest, then we have a funeral, then we have another shooting. We grieve, we cry, we protest. And so what I want you all to do today is a little bit different. I want us to destroy the system that keeps putting us in situations like this. That means I want us to make sure that in the state of North Carolina, they can no longer hide videos from individuals who need to see it. That means I want each and every one of you all to take out your phones right now and I want you to Google the number of Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. I want you to call them and ask them why they're not signed on to the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. Speaker 5: (08:54) I want you to make sure that every United States Senator, Democrat and Republican, passes legislation so we don't have to be in positions like this. It's good, the protest, but I'm tired of that. I'm tired of it being cyclical because I stand next to a young man who joins another club of black people who will not be able to grow up with their father. And so I'm asking you to do something a little bit different today. They want us to go out in the streets and they want us to get mad and they want us to chant and march because they know in 17 days, we've got to go back home and it's going to happen all over again. It does not make sense that the North Carolina state legislature can hide videos like this when all we know is that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Speaker 5: (09:41) And so I just want to see the video this morning. Y'all got me off my schedule. The sheriff told me at 11:30 I could see the video in his past that, and I like to stay on a regimen. So I ask you all to just be patient a little bit more because the truth is going to come forth. But while we are out here, I need you to get on the phones. And I want you to go ahead and call Joe and Kyrsten. I want you to call every Republican Senator or Democratic Senator and make sure that they're passing policy so that these families don't have to be here like this. I'm standing with Gwen Carr behind me. I never thought I'd be doing that. The mother of Eric Gardner is here. Only in black communities do we have mothers of people who lost their children due to gun violence. Speaker 5: (10:23) No other community has a club like that, but we do. And so today I ask you all to think a little bit differently about how we're going to break this cycle. We're going to destroy this system and we're going to re-imagine what it should be so we don't have no more deaths like this. And the first step, Mr. Sheriff, is simply do one thing, show us the video. Ben Crump: (10:42) And we're going to have the family address you all until after they see the video, it is troubling. It's very troubling that we have to go through this just to achieve simple justice. I can't imagine how many of these Roland Martin and us have been through the fact that the taxpayers have paid all this money for the police to be retrofitted with body camera video and then the time when it's most critically needed, they won't show it to the public. Why did the tax payers pay the money? And so [inaudible 00:11:24] is saying federally, we also should be acting here in North Carolina to say it shouldn't be a judge that has to sign for us to see a video that we've already paid our tax dollars to see the video. That's asinine. So what we have to do is continue to be strategic. We have to, literally, both the people in office who are going to say, "We want our children to be able to live out the fulfillment of their destiny that God has for them and not to be shot in the back." Ben Crump: (12:01) I mean the most cowardly thing in the world you can do is shoot somebody in the back. They don't shoot white men in the back, but it's almost like a cliche where people in the black community, whether it's Jacob Blake in Kenosha, whether it's Laquan McDonald in Chicago, whether it's Walter Scott in South Carolina, whether it's Terrence Crutcher in Oklahoma. They shoot us in the back as the most dangerous thing in the world to a police officer is a black man running away. They don't shoot these mass murderers, these young white men who are confirmed mass murders. When you think about the Parkland School shooting, they took him alive after he shot up the whole school. You think about the young man who went and shot up the people in the Asian spot in Atlanta. They took him alive Arthur. Ben Crump: (12:56) And then, my Lord, not too far from here in [inaudible 00:13:00] home state, this young white boy named Dylan Roof went and shot up the whole church. And literally they chased him across state lines into North Carolina. And they not only took him alive, but they took him to Burger King to get a burger and a fry. But Andrew Brown, they shoot him in the back. And we're going to see the video to know what they're trying to hide from all of you, because the truth can't hide forever and a lie can not live forever. Speaker 5: (13:36) I gave y'all an assignment so I wanted to follow through. I need everybody to take their phones out. I know y'all filming, but take it out. We're going to do something good. I got Joe Manchin's number right here. It's (202) 224-3954, (202) 224-3954. Call his office and tell him we're tired of black folks dying. And then Kyrsten Sinema's number is (202)- Speaker 6: (14:04) Say that number one more time for Joe Manchin. Speaker 5: (14:09) (202) 224-3954, and Kyrsten Sinema is (202) 224-4521. And just call the office and tell them how you feel. Let me turn it over to Harry. Harry has an update for you. Harry Daniels: (14:26) All right, so let me be clear. We had this thing set up. When I say we, the family attorneys with the county attorney Mike Cox. 11:30 was the time it was on the 24th. The only issue we had, like I said before, who was going to see the video. We cleared that issue, cleared it. Per statute we cleared it. 10:29 this morning, an hour before the viewing, I get an email, "Harry, I'm getting ready to do a press release." Have y'all seen a press release from them? "Harry, ready to do a press release that the video is having some redactions before. It will not be ready at 11:30. We are working on it as hard as we can, but it takes time. This intent to have it done by today." They had 24 hours, 48 hours, and they still ain't done. They didn't see this video since Wednesday April the 21st to make that decision due to redactions. Harry Daniels: (15:32) Show us to tape. The family should see... The family should not be subject to any redactions. They should see the video raw, raw. I was told by the district attorney, I was told by the district attorney that the family was getting to see the raw footage, not the redacted version. These county administrators are walking back the promises they all made. Show the tape. If you ain't got nothing to hide, show the tape. Ben Crump: (15:58) You all know what's very profound? I bet you if that... Speaker 7: (16:03) ...profound... I bet you if that video showed Andrew doing something wrong, they would have no problem showing that video. Speaker 8: (16:10) It would have been on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Speaker 7: (16:13) But it only seems to be when the video has the police doing something wrong, then they got to redact it. Then they don't want to show it. We have to always, when we get a chance, speak truth to power. So we can't do it alone. We need all of y'all speaking truth to power for our children. Because the other thing that is profound, this is Kahlil. Kahlil is the son of Andrew Brown Jr. Now, you all may have noticed that they released a warrant saying all kinds of things about Andrew Brown. They want to redact the face of the police officers that killed Andrew Brown. Now, Andrew Brown didn't kill nobody. The police killed Andrew Brown, but we're going to protect them and not show their face and not say their names so we can see what their rap sheet is, because all they want to do is assassinate the character of his father. And we want to say, "No, no." We want to know what was the character of the killers. Speaker 8: (17:29) Say his name. Crowd: (17:31) Andrew Brown. Speaker 8: (17:32) Say his name. Crowd: (17:34) Andrew Brown. Speaker 9: (17:34) Say his name. Crowd: (17:35) Andrew Brown. Speaker 9: (17:36) Say his name. Crowd: (17:39) Andrew Brown. Speaker 7: (17:40) I told you we was going to need you. Crowd: (17:40) Andrew Brown. Speaker 9: (17:40) Say his name. Crowd: (17:40) Andrew Brown. Speaker 9: (17:45) Say his name. Crowd: (17:45) Andrew Brown. Speaker 9: (17:46) When I say, "What do you want?" You say, "Video." What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:55) What do you want? Crowd: (17:55) Video. Speaker 9: (17:58) When I say, "What do you want?" You say, " Justice." What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Speaker 9: (18:09) What do you want? Crowd: (18:09) Justice. Keith Rivers: (18:19) Greetings. I am Keith Rivers, president of the Pasco county branch of the national association for the advancement of colored people, as well as the third vice president of the North Carolina state conference of NAACP. And we will continue to demand justice. We will continue to march. We will continue to have peaceful protests. We will continue to stand for the Brown family and this community. It is almost disgraceful that it's taken the presence of the media to get a notice from the Sheriff's department to release the video. Keith Rivers: (18:59) Now we're understanding that you don't want to release the video in its entirety. You don't want to be transparent, but you want to ask the community to trust you. Well, we can't trust you if you're not transparent. We have to heal. We have to grow. Sheriff Wooten, do the right thing. The DA, do the right thing. We will continue, and let it be known that this community has now the city has declared a state of emergency and it has been through peaceful protest, peaceful protest. That is a reflection of this community. The people that are elected to office, we elected the sheriff. We elected the district attorney. We elected you. Do not fail this community. Do not fail this community. To all of the protesters, to all of the community out here, let the entire United States of America hear you. What do we want? Crowd: (20:01) Justice. Keith Rivers: (20:03) What do we want? Crowd: (20:03) Justice. Keith Rivers: (20:04) When do we want it? Crowd: (20:05) Now. Keith Rivers: (20:06) Who do we want it from? Crowd: (20:09) Wooten. Keith Rivers: (20:09) What do we want it for? Crowd: (20:09) Andrew Brown. Amen. Speaker 7: (20:14) Thank you, Mr. President. We have the daughter, one of the children of Andrew Brown here. If you ever want to remember what we're fighting for, you just look at that little angel. Right now we're going to have somebody address you, who is part of that fraternity that nobody wants to be part of, as Bacari and Harry talked about. She was with the family of George Floyd. She was with the family of Michael Brown. She was with the family of Breonna Taylor. She has been a shoulder for them to lean on. She has been a calming force for them and for all of us. She's one of the original mothers of the movement, and she did not think it robbery Elizabeth city to come down and be with the family of Andrew Brown. She is the mother of Eric Garner, the first, "I can't breathe" case in Staten Island, New York, before George Floyd said "I can't breathe." Let's welcome the mother of the movement, the mother of Eric Garner, Ms. Gwen Carr. Gwen Carr: (21:51) Thank you all. I just want to give honor to God, who is first in my life. And I thank you all for standing up for justice. This is what we must do. Everybody has to stand for justice. We have to gather like this. I'm tired. I'm tired of coming to these commemorations for black men being shot. Crowd: (22:14) Helicopter is over so we can't hear you. [inaudible 00:22:25]. Gwen Carr: (22:37) But again, I come to stand in solidarity with this family, but too much is too much. We can't even get over the trial of George Floyd before there was several other murders. And then we come down here to Elizabeth City where they shoot a man in the back. They won't show the video. What are they trying to hide? If he had shot one of those police officers, or if he had even had a fight with those police officer, the video would be all over the nation by now. But now they're trying to hide the police face. Why? They are the criminals. Gwen Carr: (23:19) They say that we are armed and dangerous. No, they are the ones who are armed and dangerous, who are taking our lives. They're coming to our communities, abusing and brutalizing our children. And then they tried to sweep it up under the rug. We must say no more sweeping it under the rug. We want justice. We want accountability. We can't have this keep on happening. And we can't treat it like it's the norm because there's nothing normal about this. Our children are dying and we have the media. It's another news story to the media, but this is our lives. We have to live this each and every day. Gwen Carr: (24:02) We have to live this each and every day. As they say, all police officers isn't bad. All Black and Browns isn't criminals. We have to treat the situation as it is. I give my family my sympathy, my love, and I stand with you, as all of you do. And we have to keep on standing together. We can't go home and just sit on our couch. We have to stay woke people. Thank you so much. Harry Daniels: (24:32) Thank you. Speaker 7: (24:36) You know, your George Floyd people wrote and called us from all over the world saying until we get justice for George Floyd, none of us can breathe. I think while we got Ms. Carr here, we should remind the powers that be that we can't breathe until we get transparency. We can't breathe! Crowd: (25:06) We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! We can't breathe! Speaker 7: (25:28) Thank, y'all. We want Ms. Gwen Carr to know that we still remember her son, Eric Garner, never got his day in court and we're still fighting for justice for Eric Garner, as well. Gwen Carr: (25:42) Thank you. Thank you. Harry Daniels: (25:44) All right. We got another update from the county. They said they getting real close. Y'all keep the pressure on. Keep the pressure on. Keep the pressure. Speaker 10: (25:53) When I say "When Black lives are under attack," what do you do? You say, "Stand up, fight back." Speaker 10: (25:56) When Black lives are under attack. Crowd: (25:56) Stand up, fight back. Speaker 10: (25:56) What do you do? Crowd: (25:57) Stand up, fight back.