So thank you very much. I am Chris Cuomo and welcome to Primetime. You got to put your eyes on Elizabeth City, North Carolina tonight.

Demonstrators are on the streets and it is because of today's decision by the district attorney that deputies were justified in the deadly shooting of Andrew Brown Jr.

Meaning officers had a reasonable fear that Brown was trying to seriously hurt or even kill them or somebody near them.

The prosecutor suggested it was all fairly obvious.

Mr. Brown's death while tragic was justified because Mr. Brown's actions caused three deputies with the Pasco Taint County Sheriff's Office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others.

And then the district attorney said the tapes tell the story and I will show you what he showed us in these boxes.

Four different vantage points of edited clips that the public could record but nothing was given and nothing more was offered despite many angles and officers wearing cameras.

And that's the way it will stay. For now, thanks to this odd state law restricting public access to police footage.

A case that cries out for transparency is being cast in doubt by the lack of it tonight.

Now I know emotions will run high and it serves no interest to have any violence by anyone on the streets in that city or anywhere else tonight.

But the outrage is understandable and the best way to engage it is to look at what the DA said and what he showed as proof of his conclusion and see if it makes sense.

The DA's conclusion means that there is not even probable cause from all the facts and circumstances available.

That's just about the lowest standard of proof in the criminal system.

If there's not enough even to meet that burden to suggest that officers may have done the wrong thing here.

What is the basis for that assessment? Video. Now some of you might find it disturbing but as I always say, the whole situation is disturbing.

If you want to understand it, watch for yourself and here it is.

Do you see a reasonable threat?

Absolutely.

But what about what followed?

Was what followed reasonable under the circumstances?

Remember the standard is not and will never be and can never be, comply or die.

So let's look at one moment that the prosecutor points to as a life and death danger to the officers.

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