Attorneys representing a 32-year-old Black man shot by a Spotsylvania County, Virginia, deputy say they are filing a Freedom of Information Act request for all audio, video and transcripts related to the shooting.
David Haynes, the attorney representing Isiah Brown, sent the request Tuesday as his client remains in critical condition at a Fredericksburg hospital.
The request asks for all documents, including the initial incident report, and other notes and memorandums written by the deputy who shot Brown. A full transcript and audio of the communication between the police dispatcher and the officer at the time of the shooting also is listed.
Haynes’ request calls for the name of the deputy who shot Brown and his record to be released as part of the investigation. Any remaining body camera, dash camera and unreleased audio and video footage related to the shooting are included as part of the request.
“While we understand and appreciate that a criminal investigation is ongoing, our clients as well as the public have an interest in this information,” Hayes said in the request.
The deputy shot Brown on April 21 outside of Brown’s home after Brown called 911 following a dispute with his brother. Two days after the shooting, the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office released the full 911 call and the officer’s body camera footage.
Just prior to the shooting, the deputy interacted with Brown, giving him a ride home from a gas station after his car broke down. The audio and video footage appear to show the deputy mistook a cordless house phone used to call 911 as a gun. Brown told the 911 dispatcher that he owned a gun but did not have it in his possession at the time of the shooting.
In releasing the audio and video, the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office did not say whether Brown had a gun.
Brown underwent multiple surgeries since the shooting, his attorney said. His family also established a GoFundMe to seek contributions for hospital expenses.
Virginia State Police is handling the investigation, and a special prosecutor will review the findings. The deputy is on administrative leave.
The FOIA request can be viewed in full here.
