NEW ORLEANS — Wanted for murder, New Orleans police are looking for BJ Brown, 32, accused of killing a woman who family members identified as Cassandra Jones, 48.
“This was a black woman that was brutally gunned down, murdered like a dog in the street,” said New Orleans activist Ameer Baraka.
It happened Monday morning inside an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Iberville Street. A witness tells Eyewitness News that Brown shot Jones in the back. She ran, then collapsed.
That’s when a video circulating online shows a man walking up to Jones with a long gun and shooting her at least two more times.
Family members of Jones say she and Brown used to date. According to court records, there’s a history of domestic abuse.
Jones filed a petition for protection in May, accusing Brown of physical, mental, financial, and sexual abuse.
In a written statement Jones wrote Brown even tried to smother her with a pillow after an argument. She also wrote that Brown punched her in the face, knocking some of her teeth out.
The clerk of court says a temporary restraining order was never put in place because Jones never proceeded with it. Jones worked as a deputy clerk for the clerk of court for the last year.
“New Orleans is known for crime and domestic violence is kind of serious in our community,” said Chris Davis who lives where the murder happened.
Davis says he’s shaken by it.
“It was just awful. That shouldn’t happen. That stuff shouldn’t happen in broad daylight in a normal community,” said Davis.
It didn’t end in that community. Brown is also linked to shooting an officer Monday night while on the run, 530 miles away near Erin, Tennessee, west of Nashville.
“Make no mistake whatsoever, this was an ambush on an officer,” said Erin police chief Mark Moore who fought back emotions during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Moore says an officer tried to make a traffic stop, only to be shot by Brown before he ran away.
“We’re a small department. We haven’t been through anything like this. A lot of times these officers are out there by themselves. You kind of carry that weight when you’re not out there with them,” said Moore.
Moore says that the officer is expected to survive. Facing attempted murder of an officer, the search for Brown continued Tuesday night in Tennessee
“Rest assured we will not rest until he’s captured, justice is served; whether it be by a jury or Jesus, that’ll be his choice,” said Moore.
Back in New Orleans, this type of crime has Baraka worried about the future of the city.
“When a young man can walk with a machine gun, shoot a woman and just walk around the apartment building and then come back and finish her off. That’s bold. That’s bold. He don’t give a damn,” said Baraka.