Andrew Brown Jr: Another African-American killed by police in U.S.

An African-American man was the target of a fatal police shooting Wednesday in North Carolina, becoming the latest black person killed by law enforcement since Tuesday's announcement that police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of killing George Floyd.

Andrew Brown Jr. "was fatally shot" by a police officer who came to serve a search warrant in Elizabeth City, a small town in the southeastern U.S. state, Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten said at a press briefing.

According to local media reports, citing witnesses, Andrew Brown was shot as he drove away from the officers in his car.

The 40-year-old father of 10 was unarmed, his family said, according to local television station WAVY.

His death comes a day after the historic verdict in the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of three charges including the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The jubilation caused by the announcement of his guilt, Tuesday afternoon, had already been tinged with bitterness by the death of a black teenager in Columbus, Ohio, less than an hour before the announcement of the verdict.

Ma'Khia Bryant, 16, was killed by a police officer while she appeared to be attacking another person with a knife.

Sheriff Tommy Wooten on Wednesday promised "transparency" about the events leading up to the death of Andrew Brown Jr. in North Carolina.

The police officer's body camera was working, the sheriff said, adding that he had not yet seen the footage.

The investigation has been turned over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Source: AFP