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Note: we are republishing this story amid nationwide discussion regarding police reform and the relationship between police officers and their communities.
Roxboro Police Department released dash cam footage of the officer-involved shooting that left a 45-year-old man dead.
The wide angle of the video makes it hard to see, but it appears that David Brooks Jr. was holding what looks like a gun before he got shot. An officer is heard shouting, “Hey bro, drop your gun.”
Brooks moves and two officers yell, “Drop your gun” before a shot rings out. The entire incident lasted about five seconds.
The officers rush to where Brooks is, and one is heard asking, “Hey man you good?”
No bodycam footage is available because the department does not issue them to officers.
The July 24 incident occurred near a Dollar General after someone called 911 to report that he was walking down the street holding a gun.
According to Police Chief David Hess, a loaded, sawed-off shotgun was recovered at the scene. Carrying a sawed-off shotgun is illegal in the state of North Carolina.
Photo Credit: CBS 17
Speaking to ABC11 on Wednesday, David Brooks Sr. said that his son’s death will not be in vain. “I talked to the management of Dollar General. They said they have no problem with him. He’s been in there before with a gun. He’s always been respectful,” Brooks Sr. said.
Following Brooks’ death, the public held marches and vigils calling for justice and rejecting the police’s assertion that Brooks’ death was a justified shooting.
“You shot him down like a dog in the street! But when the KKK pushed through here — where’s everybody at?” Brooks’ cousin Tanillya Patridge told ABC11. “You got 30, 50 white people with guns and dogs downtown, where’s everybody at?”
Photo Credit: CBS 17
According to the family, the police department was familiar with Brooks because of previous run-ins he had with officers. They stated that this encounter could have been handled better considering his mental health challenges.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
This content was originally published here.
