NC county reaches $3M settlement with family of man shot while fleeing

The sheriff's office for Pasquotank County, which is located near the North Carolina-Virginia border, and Brown's estate announced the agreement in a joint statement Monday.

"I understand that there are no words I can say that will alleviate your pain. I do offer my most sincere sympathies and compassion to you as you continue to grieve the loss of Andrew Brown Jr.," Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said.

The agreement comes nearly a year after Brown's family filed the lawsuit suing local law enforcement officials for $30 million on accusations of "reckless disregard" for Brown's life.

Brown, 42, was shot five times, including once in the back of his head, by police during an attempted arrest on April 21 of last year.

Deputies were attempting to arrest Brown on drug charges but as he tried to drive away from the scene, they opened fire, killing him.

Cameras worn by the arresting deputies showed Brown's hands were on the steering wheel of his car when the shooting began, showing that he did not pose a threat to law enforcement.

Brown's family filed the lawsuit against nine officials, including Wooten, after North Carolina District Attorney Andrew Womble in May of last year declined to bring charges against those involved in the shooting.

According to the state, the Pasquotank County's insurance policy will cover $2 million of the settlement with $1 million to be paid by a special appropriation approved by the county's board of commissioners.

Lawyers for the family said the money will go to Brown's children as they are heirs to his estate.

"While no settlement could ever fill the hole this death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those children's futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didn't die with their father," the family's attorneys said in the statement.