GA - Rayshard Brooks, Atlanta, Jun 2020, Officer charged MEDIA, MAPS, TIMELINE

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A new wave of protests broke out in the city after Rayshard Brooks, 27, died after police shot him in a Wendy’s car park on Friday night. The fired police officer has been named as Garrett Rolfe. The police department released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers.

The Wendy's was torched last night and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned.

What happened?
According to the GBI, LE officers were responding to a complaint of a man sleeping in a car blocking the drive-through at the Wendy’s restaurant, and that Rayshard Brooked failed a sobriety test, and then resisted arrest.

The GBI Brooks had taken a Taser from one of the officers during a struggle, and appeared to have pointed it at the officer as he tried to run away from the police. The officer then opened fire with his gun.

Pictured here on body cam before he was shot
29585600-8418741-image-a-34_1592114504007.jpg

Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday Friday before he was killed.

Up to the minute:
Minute-by-minute: Officer who shot Rayshard Brooks has been fired

PICTURED: Atlanta cop Garrett Rolfe who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks outside of Wendy's | Daily Mail Online
 
Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man

Atlanta protests aftermath: A charred Wendy's, an officer fired and a police chief steps down - CNN


Atlanta police chief resigns over shooting death
On Saturday protesters set fire to the Wendy's restaurant where the shooting occurred and police chief Erika Shields handed in her resignation.

One of the Atlanta police officers involved in the latest shooting, Garrett Rolfe, has been sacked, and the other, Devin Bronsan, put on administrative duty.

Lawyers representing Mr Brooks' family said the officer had no right to use deadly force, saying the Taser which Mr Brooks had grabbed was a non-lethal weapon.

"You can't shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you," attorney Chris Stewart said.

This is the 48th officer-involved shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has investigated this year. Of those cases, 15 were fatal .
 
Atlanta officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks has been terminated

There are two videos of the incident, including surveillance video from Wendy's. The other video was provided by a witness who requested anonymity due to privacy concerns.

The video from the eyewitness begins in the middle of the struggle between Brooks and two police officers. In the video, an officer is heard telling Brooks to "stop fighting" and "hands off the taser."

"The fight started when they tried to make an arrest ... after that he took a taser and took off," the witness said.

As the scuffle broke up, the video shows Brooks beginning to run from the officers and he is seen holding what appears to be a stun gun in his right hand. It appears one of the officers fires their stun gun at Brooks three times as he runs away.

Shortly after Brooks and one of the officers run by the car of the eyewitness taking the video, a second officer runs by, following Brooks.

Three shots are then heard out of frame.

The Wendy's surveillance video doesn't show the scuffle, but shows Brooks running away from where police cars are parked. In that video, Brooks appears to point the stun gun at the Atlanta officer.

"At that point the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down," the GBI director said in a press conference on Saturday.

The eyewitness is heard saying in additional video obtained by CNN that Brooks was still breathing as he lay on the ground.
 
How Rayshard Brooks Was Fatally Shot by the Atlanta Police

Police footage and video filmed by a witness, Tiachelle Brown, shows Mr. Brooks grappling with the officers on the ground. Officer Rolfe says, “Stop that. Stop fighting, stop fighting,” and Officer Brosnan shouts, “You’re going to get Tased.”

Mr. Brooks says “Mr. Rolfe, come on man. Mr. Rolfe.” He seizes a Taser from Officer Brosnan, stands up and punches Officer Rolfe. Officer Rolfe fires his Taser gun. The darts hit Mr. Brooks, and Officer Rolfe continues trying to stun him.

Mr. Brooks runs away, holding Officer Brosnan’s Taser gun. Officer Rolfe gives chase, and continues to try to stun Mr. Brooks.

The security camera footage filmed at Wendy’s shows Officer Rolfe chasing Mr. Brooks. In seconds, Officer Rolfe passes his Taser from his right hand to his left hand, and reaches for his handgun.

While being chased, and in full stride, Mr. Brooks looks behind him, points the Taser he is holding in Officer Rolfe’s direction, and fires it. The flash of the Taser suggests that Mr. Brooks did not fire it with any real accuracy.

Officer Rolfe discards the Taser he is carrying, draws his handgun and fires it three times at Mr. Brooks as he is running away. Mr. Brooks falls to the ground.

11:23 p.m. For the next minute, Officer Rolfe and Officer Brosnan stand over Mr. Brooks, who is injured but moving on the ground, and occasionally reach down to him. Officer Brosnan appears to use his radio. Neither officer appears to provide medical assistance to Mr. Brooks. Another police car arrives at the scene.

11:24 p.m. Another video shows Officer Rolfe running back to his S.U.V. and calling for help over his radio. Bystanders denounce the shooting to a third police officer who is at the scene.

11:25 p.m. Officer Rolfe and Officer Brosnan begin to provide medical assistance. Officer Rolfe appears to unroll a bandage and place it on Mr. Brooks’s torso.

11:30 p.m. An ambulance arrives. Eight minutes later, Mr. Brooks is taken to a hospital, where he dies after surgery.
 
Atlanta shooting: Rayshard Brooks was shot twice in the back, autopsy report says

The Fulton County District Attorney criticized the police officers' handling of the fatal shooting and said that a decision on whether to bring charges could come around Wednesday.

"(Brooks) did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable," DA Paul Howard said today.

"It just seems like this is not the kind of conversation and incident that should have led to someone's death."

Howard said the possible charges could include murder, felony murder or involuntary manslaughter.

"Specifically, (the question is if) Officer Rolfe, whether or not he felt that Mr. Brooks, at the time, presented imminent harm of death or some serious physical injury. Or the alternative is whether or not he fired the shot simply to capture him or some other reason," Howard said. "If that shot was fired for some reason other than to save that officer's life or to prevent injury to him or others, then that shooting is not justified under the law."
 
Rayshard Brooks shooting: Atlanta man's wife wants officers jailed after an initially peaceful encounter with police turns fatal

"Rayshard Brooks is everybody. Just like George is everybody. We are all the people, we are all God's children," Brooks' wife, Tomika Miller, told "CBS This Morning."

"We should feel the pain of those who lost their life to senselessness over authority being taken way overboard."

She said she wants the officers at the scene to go to jail.

Sgt. Rob Pride on Rayshard Brooks shooting: Atlanta officer appears justified in using force

GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a stun gun from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots.

“We can look through history and see how many officers in policing history have been killed when they were disarmed of their own firearm and when a Taser is used against officers, it has that capability,” Pride noted.

“It has that capability of incapacitating an officer and having them disarmed and killed with their firearm and so I don't know of many agencies that this wouldn't be a deadly force encounter and it will be interesting to see what comes out of the investigation in regards to whether policies were met or not.”
 
Rayshard Brooks: Atlanta police killing lawful but awful, experts say

Three experts consulted by USA TODAY said there were better options.

Kalfani Ture, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, served as a police officer in the Atlanta metropolitan area for five years. Ture said the Atlanta Police Department is highly regarded for its training, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Sunday that Rolfe had taken a nine-hour course on deescalation alternatives in late April.

And yet, he decided to shoot.

“Would I have shot Rayshard Brooks? My answer is no,’’ Ture said. “It’s a questionable use of force, but there are many officers who may find this a lawful use of force. So, it’s one of those things we call in law enforcement ‘lawful but awful,’ meaning that the officer could have taken alternative action that did not result in the civilian’s death.’’

But, he said, "I was not running after someone that had a police weapon in a parking lot of patrons."

While Ward said he was never in a situation in which "a subject overpowered two officers and took their weapon" during his nearly 30-year career, he still believed Rolfe reacted too quickly with force.

Asked if the Atlanta officer had better options, he said, "For me: Yes."

Andy Harvey, a former Dallas police officer and current police chief of Ennis, Texas, said the officers didn’t have to arrest Brooks despite him registering above the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving.

“They could have taken other alternatives before getting to that point where they felt they had to take action,’’ Harvey said. “How do we resolve this? Is there a cab you could call, or a family member who can come pick him up?’’

Harvey said police officers are taught their life may be in danger when a suspect takes away one of their weapons, and that might have contributed to Rolfe's decision to shoot Brooks.

But Harvey said members of law enforcement need to realize the use of force has to be far down their list of tools, especially at a time when their actions are drawing scrutiny with a number of African Americans – often unarmed – dying at the hands of police.

“We’re living in a different world now. What the community expects from us has changed,’’ Harvey said. “When an officer does something egregious, they’re expected now to file charges against him, and even more so now with the sentiment around the country.’’

Rayshard Brooks death: Lawyers beg for police to be charged | Daily Mail Online

Erika Shields, the Atlanta Police Chief, resigned after the video surfaced but she has not commented publicly on the incident.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms said it was 'heartbreaking' and that she wished the officers had simply let Brooks call a friend to come to pick him up.

'This has been hard and it has really been difficult for me to put aside my own anger and sadness during this time and really be able to articulate what our communities need to hear."

'What can you say? I've watched the bodycam video, I watched it for 30 minutes.

'I watched the interaction with Mr. Brooks and it broke my heart.

'When they talk about his daughter's birthday party that he was planning for... this is not confrontational.

'This was a guy that you were rooting for.

'Even knowing the end, watching, you're going, "just let him go. Let him go. Let him call somebody to pick him up."

'I think that's the challenge we're all facing as leaders right now. When these things continue to happen over and over again, we're asking ourselves, how do we lead at this time?

'We will get to the other side of this but in the meantime we've got to keep pushing,' she said.
 
Multiple Atlanta officers have resigned this month as morale is said to drop to 'all-time low'

Multiple Atlanta police officers have resigned this month, the department confirmed to Fox News on Monday, as the president and CEO of the Atlanta Police Foundation said, “Morale is at an all-time low.”

Atlanta Police said eight officers have resigned since June 1, a higher rate than usual; the department had seen two to six monthly resignations in 2020.

Earlier Monday, the Atlanta Police Foundation had reported 19 resignations in the past week; the group later took back its claim, affirming there have been eight resignations this month.

District attorney weighing charges in Rayshard Brooks’ death | WTOP
 
Rayshard Brooks' killing 'is so personal to so many people of color,' Atlanta mayor says

"That could have been any one of us," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on NBC's "TODAY". "That could be any of our kids or brothers. In this case it was: It was someone's father."

Bottoms said that [the] officers' interaction with Brooks began as "almost a pleasant interaction. It didn't have to end this way. That's what's so frustrating. It leaves us asking so many questions. We do so many things in Atlanta we thought to get it right, and this went so terribly wrong."

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned from her position on Saturday night, less than 24 hours after the shooting, saying in a statement, "It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve."

Bottoms said today that she appreciated the former chief's work and dedication to the city, and that Shields, who remains on the police force, will have input on the department's "transformation." The Atlanta police department was already reviewing its policies, the mayor said, and the shooting of Brooks only intensifies the need for that.

L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said Brooks shouldn't have faced deadly force because he appeared to have a stun gun. "Of extreme concern in the murder of Rayshard Brooks is the fact that he was shot in the back multiple times while fleeing," Stewart and law partner Justin Miller ....
———
“While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do,” Ms. Bottoms said. “I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force.”

Atlanta Police Chief Resigns After Officer Shoots and Kills a Black Man
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Stun Gun Laws in Georgia
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Police search for (white) ‘instigators’ who started Wendy’s fire after Rayshard Brooks shooting

Channel 2 Action News obtained new video of a (white) woman who police say is responsible for starting a fire that torched a Wendy’s restaurant, just hours after a deadly police shooting there.

The Atlanta Police Foundation says a lot of tips have come in to CrimeStoppers Atlanta after they posted a $10,000 reward for her arrest.

A Channel 2 viewer recorded the video on Saturday night. It clearly shows a white woman in shorts with a pony tail spraying something into the flames at the restaurant. She smiles and nods and walks away from the restaurant as flames spread.

Video on Twitter, linked in story

Atlanta police shared a second video of the same woman on their Twitter account and still photos of a second woman dressed in black with an aerosol can.

EafZIrJXgAEkr3a


Police search for (white) ‘instigators’ who started Wendy’s fire after Rayshard Brooks shooting

Dave Wilkinson is the president of the Atlanta Police Foundation and a former secret service agent. He says its clear police are searching for a small number of people who came with different intentions than the peaceful protests.

“We’re talking about individuals that are literally throwing Molotov cocktails, the folks that are setting businesses on fire. It appears that their intention for being there is to destroy property, wreak havoc and create violence,” Wilkinson said. “There’s no question when you see that video of the suspects they certainly look different, they certainly dress differently.”
—-

Timeline: Here’s how protests unfolded Saturday night

Here’s how the protests happened in reverse order:

7:19 a.m. People have arrived at the Wendy’s to see what is left of it the morning after the fire. Channel 2′s Tony Thomas is live outside the fast-food restaurant.

Tony Thomas

@TonyThomasWSB

Wendy’s on University Avenue gutted after overnight fire set during protests. Building still smoldering as people come to look . @wsbtv

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12:19 PM - Jun 14, 2020

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2:23 a.m: Channel 2′s Matt Johnson and Audrey Washington report on police’s efforts to disperse the protesters.

Audrey Washington

@AudreyWSBTV

RIGHT NOW:mad:Atlanta_Police demanding protesters back up and disperse.@wsbtv #RayshardBrooks Protest.

8

7:29 AM - Jun 14, 2020 · Atlanta, GA

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See Audrey Washington's other Tweets

Matt Johnson

@MattWSB

Police moving in on remaining protesters.

17

7:23 AM - Jun 14, 2020

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1:58 a.m. Police have announced protesters must disperse and leave immediately. They are using a high frequency sound to drive off the few people left in the intersection. Channel 2 photographers showed at least two men being put into handcuffs as the crowd thinned out quickly.

1:53 a.m. Channel 2′s Matt Johnson reports that police are moving in to stop looters who are raiding a convenience store on University Avenue.

Channel 2's Matt Johnson was live on the scene as protesters smashed windows of a gas station in southwest Atlanta.

1:40 a.m. Protesters have started to break windows on a BP gas station in the same intersection as the Wendy’s that burned.

12:50 a.m.

Protesters are still on the streets but things have calmed down a bit.

WSB-TV

@wsbtv

HAPPENING NOW: Protesters still facing off with police in southwest Atlanta, though the group is relatively peaceful. WATCH LIVE: WSB Now | Live streaming Atlanta Local News, Weather and Programs …

125

5:49 AM - Jun 14, 2020

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12: 30 a.m.

New video released by Atlanta Police shows police talking with Brooks for 27 minutes before they try to handcuff him and the scuffle ensues. Both of the APD bodycams end up on the pavement before the shooting.

12:21 a.m.

Atlanta Police Spokesman Carlos Campos confirmed to ABC News early Sunday morning that the officer who shot Brooks has been fired. The officer has been identified as Garrett Rolfe. The other officer, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on administrative duty.

Rolfe has been with APD since 2013.

Michael Seiden

@SeidenWSBTV

APD has identified the two APD officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. (Left) Devin Bronsan has been placed on administrative leave. (Right) Garrett Rolfe has been fired after firing deadly shots. Bronsan joined the department in 2018; Rolfe joined in 2013

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5:41 AM - Jun 14, 2020


11:23 p.m.

Protesters are demanding the arrest of police.

Matt Johnson

@MattWSB

“Arrest the cops” being chanted by protesters right now near the Wendy’s where #RayshardBrooks died.

5,438

4:22 AM - Jun 14, 2020

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11:05 p.m.

Firetrucks have arrived at the scene. Firefighters said it took over an hour to get to the scene because of protesters.

Atlanta Fire Rescue

@ATLFireRescue
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Joe Ested, a former law enforcement officer and founder of the nonprofit Police Brutality Matters, said an officer must see imminent danger either to himself or to someone else for deadly use of force to be justified.

"When we look at this, the video, you see the subject running away," he said. "There's no life at risk at that time — at all.

"Even a subject running away that has a weapon — unless the weapon the subject has results in death, you still are not able to authorize the use of deadly force."

Two experts say use of deadly force against Rayshard Brooks unwarranted
 
Protesters with AR-15s turn up to Rayshard Brooks' memorial as sheriff says cops were 'justified' | Daily Mail Online

Summary

  • Brooks' family on Monday called on demonstrators to refrain from violence
  • An autopsy found that Brooks, 27, was shot twice in the back late Friday by a white officer who was trying to arrest him after he was found drunk in his car
  • Brooks tried to flee after wrestling with officers, grabbing a stun gun from one
  • Images from the scene Tuesday show protesters at the scene with guns
  • Brooks' killing rekindled protests following the death of George Floyd
  • But one black Georgia sheriff has said the shooting was 'completely justified'
  • 'There's nothing malicious or sadistic', sheriff Alfonzo Williams told CNN
Brooks' killing rekindled those protests following the death of Floyd on May 25. The Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was shot by Officer Garrett Rolfe was burned down over the weekend.

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A man armed with a rifle stands guard Tueaday at the memorial that has grown around the Wendy's restaurant that was set on fire after Rayshard Brooks was killed
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The fatal shooting of Brooks, a black man, by a white police officer in Atlanta has poured more fuel on the raging US debate over racism, prompting another round of street protests and the resignation of the southern city's police chief
29700710-8430269-image-a-107_1592372611289.jpg


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Protesters armed with AR-15s were pictured Tuesday at the burned down Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks shot Friday
29700718-8430269-image-a-108_1592372611396.jpg


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Protesters armed with AR-15s were pictured Tuesday at the burned down Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks shot Friday
29699352-8430269-image-a-73_1592371889327.jpg


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Brooks' death has sparked outrage but one black Georgia sheriff has said the shooting was 'completely justified'. Burke County, Ga. Sheriff Alfonzo Williams told CNN: 'There's nothing malicious or sadistic in the way these officers behaved'


Investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with Rolfe and another officer, Devin Brosnan, before taking one of their Tasers, fleeing, and pointing the stun gun at Rolfe as he ran away.

Rolfe was dismissed from the force Saturday after firing the fatal shots that killed Brooks. Brosnan, who didn't fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned.

Sheriff Williams said Tuesday: 'It's very unfortunate that the law enforcement leaders in the state of Georgia have not come out and stood together on this case. I think it's political and it's senseless.

'We're sending the wrong message to our black youth. We're telling them that it's OK, that they can run from the police, that they can take a weapon from the police, they can fight with the police, and point their weapon at the police, and expect nothing to happen. That is the wrong message to send to black youth.'

Williams said the case was different to that of Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery which were 'very clear, outrageous violations of policy and law.'

'I'm saying that what happened in the Brooks case is completely justified, 100 percent', Williams added.
 
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