Traffic Backs Up For Several Miles After BLM Activists Block NC Bridge Leading to the Outer Banks

On Wednesday morning, a man was killed in a deputy-involved shooting while sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant in the North Carolina city of Elizabeth City, officials with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office said.

Black Lives Matter activists have been protesting in the city for the last three days, urging the city to release the bodycam video from the incident.

This evening, WAVY 10’s Brett Hall reported that the protesters occupied the intersection of Water St. and Elizabeth St, which closed off a bridge to Camden Co. for nearly a half hour.

For nearly a half hour protesters have been occupying the intersection of Water St. and Elizabeth St…in turn closing off the bridge to Camden Co. Many are angry ministers held a FB live with Sheriff Tommy Wooten and aren’t out here with them @WAVY_News pic.twitter.com/zierDSg9D8

— Brett Hall (@BrettHNews) April 23, 2021

Hall later showed pictures of backed up traffic and said, “Activist told me one of the reasons they chose to stop here is that on Friday night so many people use the bridge to get to the Outer Banks. Camden Co. Sheriff depts tell me traffic headed west is backed up several miles now.”

Activist told me one of the reasons they chose to stop here is that on Friday night so many people use the bridge to get to the Outer Banks. Camden Co. Sheriff depts tell me traffic headed west is backed up several miles now @WAVY_News pic.twitter.com/bYGLGjuPpg

— Brett Hall (@BrettHNews) April 23, 2021

North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper issued a statement earlier where he said, “Initial reports of the shooting in Elizabeth City and death of Andrew Brown, Jr. this week are tragic and extremely concerning.”

“The body camera footage should be made public as quickly as possible and the SBI should investigate thoroughly to ensure accountability,” Cooper added.

Initial reports of the shooting in Elizabeth City and death of Andrew Brown, Jr. this week are tragic and extremely concerning. The body camera footage should be made public as quickly as possible and the SBI should investigate thoroughly to ensure accountability.

— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 23, 2021

Hall reported that “Activists read @RoyCooperNC‘s statement to the crowd and they begin clapping. “This is what we do this for!”

According to CNN, the City Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the shooting but the city manager said he was not going to impose a curfew.

Council member Darius Horton told CNN “I do believe in the coming days or coming hours that footage must be released because that’s the only way these people are going to calm down” and he drew cheers when he told the protesters that he was calling for authorities to release immediately the deputy’s body camera footage.