ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Police in North Carolina have arrested a man who’s believed to have vandalized a Black Lives Matter street mural painted to honor a man shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies.
Elizabeth City police said Jeremy Wayne Maggard, 32, was arrested Tuesday and charged with injury to real property and reckless driving, news outlets reported. Maggard is free on a $500 bond, and it’s not known if he has an attorney.
[ RELATED: Attorneys say Andrew Brown didn’t drive into NC deputies who shot him ]
Artist Michael Little painted the mural in honor of Andrew Brown Jr., who was shot and killed by a Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office deputy on April 21. It was unveiled on Saturday and defaced the next day. A video posted to Facebook on Sunday by Glenda Thomas showed that skid marks were left on the mural. Brown was Thomas’ nephew.
Brown was fatally shot outside his house by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies as they were serving a drug-related search warrant at Brown’s home. Brown was shot five times, including in the back of the head, according to an independent autopsy commissioned by his family.
City Manager Montre Freeman said Monday the mural will be repaired to cover up the tire tracks
Tire marks deface newly painted Black Lives Matter mural in Elizabeth City
A mural dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement was defaced with tire skid marks less than a day after it was revealed in front of the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office in Elizabeth City.
According to WTVD, the tire marks stretch across a portion of the Black Lives Matter mural, shown in a video from Brenda Thomas, the aunt of Andrew Brown Jr.
“It just doesn’t make sense that this was just revealed yesterday to the public and someone just came out here, day one, in less than 24 hours, and do this to our nice mural in our town,” Brenda Thomas said in a social media video. “This has got to stop.”
[ READ MORE: Prosecutor says Andrew Brown hit deputies with car before fatal shooting ]
In the video, Thomas called upon city and county leaders to condemn the act as well as the arrest of the perpetrator.
On Saturday, the mural was painted on Colonial Avenue -- the site of dozens of protests following the police killing of Brown.
The art piece, designed by 26-year-old Michael Little, was commissioned by Elizabeth City leaders after he won a mural design contest on Juneteenth.
”Someone needs to be held accountable for this. I know there are a lot of cameras here in Elizabeth City,” Thomas said. “They should know and arrest whoever did this to this nice mural.”
Elizabeth City manager Montre’ Freeman noted that the road sits between a heavily monitored area between the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office and the city’s police department.
An investigation is underway by the Elizabeth City Police Department.
(WATCH BELOW: District Attorney says deputies’ fatal shooting of Andrew Brown was justified)
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