CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Editor's note: The attached video originally aired Oct. 6.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who shot and killed a man near Uptown last week remains on administrative leave while state detectives investigate the case, officials said Tuesday.
CMPD identified the officer involved as Braylin Brown. He is currently on paid administrative leave pending the result of an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. CMPD said this is standard procedure for any officer who fires their service weapon. Brown was taken to the hospital after the incident and was released without injury, according to CMPD.
Multiple CMPD units responded to the report of someone shooting a gun in the area of Frazier Avenue and West Trade Street around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 4. Neighbors called 911 saying that 44-year-old Nicholas Demar Lopez was shooting his gun in the air. When officers arrived in the area, they allegedly asked Lopez to put his hands up before he started to walk away from them.
Brown then saw the gun in Lopez's hand and asked him to drop the weapon, according to CMPD. Officers alleged that Lopez pointed the weapon toward them while walking away, which led to Brown perceiving a threat and shooting Lopez. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
Because Lopez was walking away, attorney and executive director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove told WCNC Charlotte it is imperative the body camera footage of the police officer is released for transparency.
"Law enforcement needs to make sure that it is doing everything that it can do to be fully transparent with the community as quickly as possible, and to provide access to that body cam footage that is being paid for with tax dollars," Blagrove said.
State law requires someone to file a court order for police body camera footage to be made public. The petition must get approval from a superior court judge. CMPD said it is conducting its own investigation parallel to the SBI's to determine all department protocol was followed by the officers who responded to the incident.
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