Police in Spotsylvania County, Virginia are under intense scrutiny after a sheriff's deputy gave out Black man Isaiah Brown a ride home after his car broke down—only to return minutes later and open fire, shooting him in the face, LGBTQ Nation reported.
Brown, 32, is currently fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of the hospital after being fired on and shot 10 times.
The violent encounter reportedly began when Brown's car broke down on his way home April 21; a white sheriff's deputy encountered him at a gas station after 2 a.m. and gave him a ride to his home. A source told NBC Washington that Brown was in a dispute with a family member, and "was complaining about his brother." So the same officer that dropped him off returned, less than an hour later.
The deputy mistook a cordless house phone Brown was holding for a gun, David Haynes, his attorney, said in a statement provided to USA Today.
WHSV.com noted that the Spotsylvania County sheriff's office has released the 911 call and bodycam footage of the shooting.
The police shooting happened as the nation grapples with issues like racism and police brutality after former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd in 2020.
