RALEIGH – The following statement is from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC:

“Our thoughts are with the family of Andrew Brown Jr. We join the call demanding full accountability from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office and its deputies for killing Mr. Brown. An independent investigation needs to be conducted with complete transparency.

As a nation, we must end the epidemic of law enforcement officers killing Black Americans. We must value, respect and protect Black lives. We must defeat the evils of racism and white supremacy that continue to pervade our society, manifested in violence against people of color and evident in racial inequalities in policing. We must stand together to hold our elected officials accountable at all levels of government and demand tangible solutions based on equity, inclusion and justice.”

Common Cause NC is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.