Hours before the planned release of the bodycam footage of the shooting death of 42-year-old Black man Anthony Brown, who was driving away from sheriff’s deputies when he was shot in the back, the government of Elizabeth City, North Carolina has declared a state of emergency in hopes of controlling protestors, WAVY TV-10 reports.

Seven Pasquotank County deputies have been put on leave and three have been fired in the wake of the homicide, which happened Wednesday as deputies attempted to serve a warrant on Brown.  Brown eluded police and started to drive away from the deputies, one of whom opened fire on the departing vehicle, shattering the rear window and hitting Brown in the back, killing him.  Pasquotank Sheriff Tommy Wooten said the three officers who resigned were not involved in the shooting, and one of them was nearing a pre-planned retirement.

Authorities implemented the state of emergency starting at 8 a.m. Monday, and announced that the Brown family would view the footage Monday morning, after which the video will likely be released to the public. 

The state of emergency will be in place indefinitely.  City offices were ordered closed and schools will hold classes remotely at least through the end of the week.  Mayor Bettie Parker said authorities expect a period of civil unrest after the release of the footage, and “our citizens and businesses must be protected from violence or damage.”  There have been nightly peaceful protests in the city since the day of the shooting, with no arrests or damage reported.