[VIDEO] Atlanta police resigns & officer sacked after black man shot dead outside Wendy's restaurant

[MenInG]

[VIDEO] Atlanta police resigns & officer sacked after black man shot dead outside Wendy's restaurant

WARNING: Video contains disturbing images and sound. Viewer discretion is advised.

[utube]DOiKgmCJwls[/utube]




Atlanta's Police Chief has resigned after the fatal shooting of an African-American who had fallen asleep in his car at a drive-through restaurant.

Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot by a police officer during a struggle on Friday evening, authorities say.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Erika Shields handed in her resignation on Saturday.

Protesters in Atlanta took to the streets this weekend calling for action following Mr Brooks' death.

On Saturday evening, demonstrators closed down a major highway, Interstate-75, in Atlanta. The Wendy's restaurant outside which Brooks died was also set on fire.

Over the past three weeks, people across the US have already been protesting over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody.

Erika Shields had served as police chief since December 2016 and had worked in the Atlanta police department for more than 20 years. She will continue with the department in another role, Mayor Bottoms said.

"Because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as Police Chief so that the city may move forward with urgency and rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities," Mayor Bottoms said in a statement.

Mayor Bottoms has also called for the sacking of the officer involved in Brooks' death.

What happened on Friday night?

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) is probing the death of Mr Brooks and is looking at video from a security camera inside the Wendy's restaurant and also eyewitness footage.

It says police had been called to the restaurant because Mr Brooks had fallen asleep in his car, which was blocking the drive-through lane.

According to police, Mr Brooks resisted arrest after he failed a breathalyzer test.

A report from the GBI said footage captured from inside the Wendy's restaurant shows officers chasing Mr Brooks before he turns and points a Taser at an officer.

"The officer then fired his weapon, striking Brooks," the report said.

In the eyewitness video, Mr Brooks can be seen on the ground outside the Wendy's restaurant, struggling with two police officers.

He grabs an officer's Taser and breaks free from the officers, running away. The other officer then manages to use a Taser on Mr Brooks and both officers then run out of the frame of the video.

Gun shots can then be heard and Mr Brooks is seen on the ground.

He was taken to hospital but later died. One of the officers was treated for an injury from the incident.

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office is conducting a separate investigation into the incident, it said in a statement.

Lawyers representing Mr Brooks' family said the police 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.

Mr Brooks was supposed to take his eight-year-old daughter skating on Saturday to celebrate her birthday, lawyers for his family said.

This is the 48th officer-involved shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has investigated this year, according to ABC News. Of those cases, 15 of those were fatal.

A number of protesters gathered outside the Wendy's on Friday, according to the New York Times.

Protests then began again in the centre of Atlanta on Saturday. Images from the protest show demonstrators holding signs with Brooks' name and Black Lives Matter signs.

People in Atlanta had already been protesting following the death of George Floyd. He died on 25 May after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes. The officer has been sacked and charged with second-degree murder.

What has happened in other US cities?
Demonstrations have taken place across the US and across the world since Floyd's death. Many in the US are calling for the police to be reformed.

In Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd died, the City Council passed a resolution on Friday to replace its police department with a community-led public safety system. Just days before it voted to disband the police department.

The council said it would begin a year-long process of engaging "with every willing community member in Minneapolis" to come up with a new public safety model.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered police departments to undertake major reforms. He also said he would stop financing local authorities that failed to adopt reforms addressing excessive use of force and bias in their police departments by next April.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53037953

 

[globalcitizen]

This is outrageous. You have a guy crashing a police car , trying to taze a officer in duty, endangering other people lives.
But when the police had to take an action , lives matter. Police have lives too and they matter too.

I think the protesters right now should not be getting any favours.. but still some intellects chose to ignore reality and support them

I suggest the police force just resign en mass and see how peaceful those fake protesters are.. this is clearly politically driven.

 

[MenInG]

An Atlanta police officer has been sacked following the fatal shooting of a black man outside a drive-through restaurant who had fallen asleep in his car.

Rayshard Brooks - a 27-year-old father - was shot in the car park of a Wendy's in the US city on Friday night and later died in hospital.

Garrett Rolfe, a six-year veteran of the Atlanta police department, was dismissed, and a second officer, Devin Bronsan, who was hired in September 2018, was placed on administrative leave for their involvement in the death of Mr Brooks, police spokesperson Sergeant John Chafee said.

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields had earlier resigned.

Investigators said Mr Brooks had grabbed an officer's Taser during a struggle before being shot.

The force said officers were called to the scene after receiving reports of a man sleeping in his car and blocking other drivers.

Police also released body camera and dash cam footage of the incident which does not show the moment Mr Brooks was shot.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said Mr Brooks had failed a test to assess whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him.

The shooting sparked protests in the city and the Wendy's restaurant was set on fire on Saturday night.

Footage showed small fires around the car park before another blaze appeared to start at an entrance to the restaurant, gradually engulfing most of the building.

Atlanta's mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said: "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force.

"Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust desperately needed in our communities."

Ms Shields said: "Out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief.

"I have faith in the mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve."

The bureau's director, Vic Reynolds, said Mr Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one officer and pointed it towards him as he ran.

After running a short distance, Mr Brooks "turns around and it appears to the eye that he points the Taser at the Atlanta officer", Mr Reynolds is quoted in a report by NBC.

"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."

Mr Reynolds said: "In a circumstance like this where an officer is involved in the use of deadly force, the public has a right to know what happened."

An investigation into the shooting has also been launched by the county district attorney's office.

It comes amid widespread protests in the US and other countries against police brutality and racism.

The demonstrations were inspired by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes in Minneapolis on 25 May.

https://news.sky.com/story/atlanta-...k-man-by-officer-12006386?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

 

[ahsan17]

This is outrageous. You have a guy crashing a police car , trying to taze a officer in duty, endangering other people lives.
But when the police had to take an action , lives matter. Police have lives too and they matter too.

I think the protesters right now should not be getting any favours.. but still some intellects chose to ignore reality and support them

I suggest the police force just resign en mass and see how peaceful those fake protesters are.. this is clearly politically driven.

Do you understand that by "take an action", you are talking about taking lives of other people? You seem to be taking that very lightly and not thinking about how making it a minor issue to take lives will lead to long term issues (as it has in US).

 

[big_gamer007]

From the OP it seemed the guy was trying to taser thw police officer and resist arrest after being caught drunk driving? Imagine if the same dude then went on to kill 10 people in an accident?

Assuming what's written in OP is correct, somehow I feel no sympathy with this guy.

Racism is present and needs to be curbed out, however, this case does not justify that.

 

[big_gamer007]

Do you understand that by "take an action", you are talking about taking lives of other people? You seem to be taking that very lightly and not thinking about how making it a minor issue to take lives will lead to long term issues (as it has in US).

What about the guy who was drunk driving, trying to assault a police officer? What if police let him go or never caught him and he killed 10 people in an accident?

Not justifying his shooting, but this guy was no moral angel. A proper probe should be ordered and if police officers are found guilty they should be charged, however, this case should not be clubbed in with the other case and black lives matter movement.

My above point is is assuming OP is accurate.

 

[ahsan17]

From the OP it seemed the guy was trying to taser thw police officer and resist arrest after being caught drunk driving? Imagine if the same dude then went on to kill 10 people in an accident?

Assuming what's written in OP is correct, somehow I feel no sympathy with this guy.

Racism is present and needs to be curbed out, however, this case does not justify that.

Do drunk drivers usually get killed by cops?

You are making it sound like a binary choice, either kill the guy or he kills the cops and 10 other people. Were there no alternatives?

 

[big_gamer007]

Do drunk drivers usually get killed by cops?

You are making it sound like a binary choice, either kill the guy or he kills the cops and 10 other people. Were there no alternatives?

Do drunk drivers resist arrest then assault police officers? Trying to taser them and run off?

 

[big_gamer007]

Do drunk drivers usually get killed by cops?

You are making it sound like a binary choice, either kill the guy or he kills the cops and 10 other people. Were there no alternatives?

I said assuming the OP has facts correct the guy wasn't a saint. He tried to assault police officers and run away, what if he managed to run away and then kill 10 people?

An inquiry will be held, if it finds that the police had options sure they will be punished (rightly so), however, in this case one has to give benefit of doubt to police (seeing the behaviour of the guy) until formal investigation completes.

That's my POV.

 

[Shazzam]

Seen the video. Things were going well till the scuffle happen. I don’t agree with the dude resisting the cops. However him being killed from this was not needed. Cops should be trained in handling situations like these. Moving to a lethal weapon is the easy way out. Both parties this time around were stupid imo.

 

[ahsan17]

Do drunk drivers resist arrest then assault police officers? Trying to taser them and run off?

So you are proving my point here, the only option here was to kill or let him go and potentially kill 10 other people?

 

[Dios]

*** so the police are not allowed to do their job now when it comes to black people? So the officers should have just stood there and got tased by this guy or worse let this guy run off with the taser and tase members of the public? What is this coming to?

 

[ahsan17]

I said assuming the OP has facts correct the guy wasn't a saint. He tried to assault police officers and run away, what if he managed to run away and then kill 10 people?

Let's indulge the argument that he might have gone and killed 10 people, even though that's **. Again, do you only have 2 options here? Are you someone that only sees things in black and white?

An inquiry will be held, if it finds that the police had options sure they will be punished (rightly so), however, in this case one has to give benefit of doubt to police (seeing the behaviour of the guy) until formal investigation completes.

This is what someone naive would say. Vast majority of such inquiries are a sham only meant to gaslight the public. The DA, prosecutors, etc are with the cops.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

*** so the police are not allowed to do their job now when it comes to black people? So the officers should have just stood there and got tased by this guy or worse let this guy run off with the taser and tase members of the public? What is this coming to?

There was no chance of the officer getting tasered from 20 yards away. I am assuming the policemen shot him because he might have thought the guy was pointing a gun. Don't know what he was thinking running off like that though, he sort of brought it on himself.

 

[Gayle_Force]

*** so the police are not allowed to do their job now when it comes to black people? So the officers should have just stood there and got tased by this guy or worse let this guy run off with the taser and tase members of the public? What is this coming to?

So you are saying the first option in such cases, regardless of the race, should be to use lethal force?

 

[Dios]

So you are saying the first option in such cases, regardless of the race, should be to use lethal force?

When there is a danger to the officers or to members of the public, the police should do whatever it takes to neutralise that threat. In this case, it seems to me now that the officers thought that the guy was pointing a gun at them. If any idiot does that then he brought the outcome upon himself.

If the person of question was of any race other than black, then we would have never even heard of the incident.

 

[Gayle_Force]

When there is a danger to the officers or to members of the public, the police should do whatever it takes to neutralise that threat. In this case, it seems to me now that the officers thought that the guy was pointing a gun at them. If any idiot does that then he brought the outcome upon himself.

If the person of question was of any race other than black, then we would have never even heard of the incident.

If he was indeed pointing a gun than I would agree with you.

But the video points to something else. The police officer seems well aware in the video that it’s a taser.

 

[shaykh]

So let’s look at a few things ...

Not a random stop ...the police were called ...

The guy was drunk, resisted arrest and grabbed the taser ...

Not a smart thing to do...bare in mind that if he does tase the officer he can lose his gun...which puts both him and the other officer in danger ...

All of this in a split second ...

Is this a bad shooting ...it’s arguable that’s rubbish policing losing your taser to a drunk man ...is there any evidence of racism...nope...but of course this is what it will be made out to be ...

White people have been killed for a lot less by police than resisting and grabbing a taser...

This isn’t remotely close to what happened to Floyd ...

 

[CricketCartoons]

Difficult world for a white cop to be in.

 

[Rana]

This is ridiculous. I believe the only way to deal with this now is by dispatching more black officers in areas where there is a possibility of crimes related to BAME communities, and do your best to have a black officer respond to such situations.

How is this a racist crime if the officers in this situation where black themselves?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

When there is a danger to the officers or to members of the public, the police should do whatever it takes to neutralise that threat. In this case, it seems to me now that the officers thought that the guy was pointing a gun at them. If any idiot does that then he brought the outcome upon himself.

If the person of question was of any race other than black, then we would have never even heard of the incident.

You only thought that in hindsight after reading my post where I suggested that could be a reason. So not sure what your initial justification of shooting the guy was.

 

[shaykh]

This is ridiculous. I believe the only way to deal with this now is by dispatching more black officers in areas where there is a possibility of crimes related to BAME communities, and do your best to have a black officer respond to such situations.

How is this a racist crime if the officers in this situation where black themselves?

I know this doesn’t fit the race narrative but studies actually show that white officers are not more likely to shoot someone black ...in fact it actually shows that whites, blacks and Hispanics are more likely to shoot someone of their own race...

 

[shaykh]

You only thought that in hindsight after reading my post where I suggested that could be a reason. So not sure what your initial justification of shooting the guy was.

I’m not sure what protocol is but wouldn’t they have checked for a weapon when they breathalysed him?...

 

[shaykh]

Difficult world for a white cop to be in.

This is the other thing that gets misunderstood ...it’s a tough place for all officers ...the police makeup tends to be about the right makeup percentage wise depending on the ethnic population ...

To use Atlanta as an example ...it’s 53% black and the police force is 58% black ...this notion of a white police force is a fiction ...

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I’m not sure what protocol is but wouldn’t they have checked for a weapon when they breathalysed him?...

No idea. While I did say in my initial post in this thread that the guy brought it on himself by grabbing the taser and running away, I still don't think that justified a shooting. I mean the guy was running away, he wasn't attacking anyone, or a physical danger to the police at that point. If they already checked for weapons, then that takes away that excuse as well.

 

[Gayle_Force]

The major problem is how easily the cop went for use of lethal force. Did the cop carry any racial prejudice? Maybe but that’s not a clear conclusion here imo.

In any case, this could have been handled better and just proves that cops are not trained to handle these situations properly.

 

[shaykh]

No idea. While I did say in my initial post in this thread that the guy brought it on himself by grabbing the taser and running away, I still don't think that justified a shooting. I mean the guy was running away, he wasn't attacking anyone, or a physical danger to the police at that point. If they already checked for weapons, then that takes away that excuse as well.

Rewatching the vid there doesn’t appear to have been any search...can’t see when it would have been done ...it’s at the very least a questionable shooting ...split second decisions...and fear can set in ...

The conduct btw of the officers throughout was fine...and the guy too ...until of course he decided to steal that taser...I can’t see any reason why this would be deemed racist ...at best it’s not a great shooting ...

But even if someone tries grabbing a gun and straight up attacks an officer and gets shot...he’s still considered a victim a la Michael brown

 

[Firebat]

The major problem is how easily the cop went for use of lethal force. Did the cop carry any racial prejudice? Maybe but that’s not a clear conclusion here imo.

In any case, this could have been handled better and just proves that cops are not trained to handle these situations properly.

Exactly, the man was running away from them without a lethal weapon, no chance of danger to anyone. It might be arguable if this fits into the clear pattern of racially motivated police brutality, but you can't argue that police in America don't have a clear problem with their use of lethal force. It's ridiculuous how quickly they'll resort to shooting and killing the suspect.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Exactly, the man was running away from them without a lethal weapon, no chance of danger to anyone. It might be arguable if this fits into the clear pattern of racially motivated police brutality, but you can't argue that police in America don't have a clear problem with their use of lethal force. It's ridiculuous how quickly they'll resort to shooting and killing the suspect.

Yea and racial prejudice can’t be completely discounted here either as I don’t know what specific factors about this guy felt such a threat to the cop that he felt lethal force was necessary.

But yea it’s not a clear conclusion in this case.

 

[Zaz]

Difficult world for a white cop to be in.

Yes very difficult for him even tho its a black man has lost his life

Beggers belief why they are so trigger happy across the pond when that should be the last and final resort

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Sounds like another gangland shooting in america
Ban the guns

 

[MenInG]

Anonymous says it has taken the Atlanta Police department “offline” after an officer shot dead Rayshard Brooks on Friday night. The hacker collective wrote on Twitter that: “Anonymous has taken action against Atlanta PD for the execution of #RayshardBrooks, we call for the arrest of the two murderers. No more impunity. #BlackLivesMatter”.

After a relatively quiet few years, Anonymous has stepped up activity in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. It also took down the Minneapolis Police Department’s website after the death of Floyd last month. The group does not have central leadership or any official policies but it has targeted the KKK, Neo Nazis and Isis in the past.

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Rewatching the vid there doesn’t appear to have been any search...can’t see when it would have been done ...it’s at the very least a questionable shooting ...split second decisions...and fear can set in ...

The conduct btw of the officers throughout was fine...and the guy too ...until of course he decided to steal that taser...I can’t see any reason why this would be deemed racist ...at best it’s not a great shooting ...

But even if someone tries grabbing a gun and straight up attacks an officer and gets shot...he’s still considered a victim a la Michael brown

There are video that he was searched.

I think this one is more the victim fault. He clearly was too drunk. He tried to talk himself out of the situation. Once he realized he was getting arrested he tried to resist. Stole the taser. Tried to punch the officer. Run away and tried to shoot the officer with the taser.

One can argue that it was not required to shoot the guy in the back when he was running away, but the guy clearly played big role in escalating a simpel situation.

 

[shaykh]

There are video that he was searched.

I think this one is more the victim fault. He clearly was too drunk. He tried to talk himself out of the situation. Once he realized he was getting arrested he tried to resist. Stole the taser. Tried to punch the officer. Run away and tried to shoot the officer with the taser.

One can argue that it was not required to shoot the guy in the back when he was running away, but the guy clearly played big role in escalating a simpel situation.

Yeah I saw another clip ...

There are semi reasonable grounds for the cop believing he could be tasered and lose his gun ...in that situation are you going to take chances?...these are split second decisions...he didn’t really have a chance to weigh things up...fight or flight mode...

 

[sweep_shot]

This is ridiculous. I believe the only way to deal with this now is by dispatching more black officers in areas where there is a possibility of crimes related to BAME communities, and do your best to have a black officer respond to such situations.

How is this a racist crime if the officers in this situation where black themselves?

I agree with you. Only send in black cops for black neighborhoods. It doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Having said that, the cop should've tried another tactic.

 

[Shazzam]

Rewatching the vid there doesn’t appear to have been any search...can’t see when it would have been done ...it’s at the very least a questionable shooting ...split second decisions...and fear can set in ...

The conduct btw of the officers throughout was fine...and the guy too ...until of course he decided to steal that taser...I can’t see any reason why this would be deemed racist ...at best it’s not a great shooting ...

But even if someone tries grabbing a gun and straight up attacks an officer and gets shot...he’s still considered a victim a la Michael brown

Race has nothing to do with this shooting. This could have been done to any race. My biggest issue is the shooting. The cop should have used another method to detain the suspect instead of relying on lethal weapon. This happens too many times in these types of situations.

 

[sweep_shot]

 

[The Viper]

Atlanta police seek masked woman suspected of burning down Wendy's

Police in Atlanta offered a $10,000 reward and published photos of what appeared to be a masked white woman as they sought the people who burned down a Wendy’s restaurant where a black man was fatally shot by an officer as he tried to escape arrest.

The fast-food outlet was torched late on Saturday during demonstrations that erupted over the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks.

His death on Friday came against a backdrop of nationwide and international protests against racial injustice and brutality by law enforcement following the May 25 death of George Floyd, an African-American man, in Minneapolis police custody. [nL1N2DQ08T]

Atlanta’s police chief, Erika Shields, resigned over the shooting. The officer suspected of killing Brooks was fired, and another officer involved in the incident was put on administrative leave. Both the officers are white.

Brooks’ death was captured on police body camera footage, as well as by a surveillance camera.

As demonstrators in Atlanta took to the streets and chanted for the officers in Brooks’ case to be criminally charged, at one point late on Saturday blocking traffic on a nearby interstate highway, the Wendy’s restaurant went up in flames.

Police said they were seeking those responsible for the blaze, including a woman who was “attempting to hide her identity.” The department posted photos on social media of what looked to be a young white woman wearing a black baseball cap and face mask, and a video clip filmed by a protester that appeared to show a woman encouraging the flames.

“Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy’s,” the man recording the video can heard saying.

“This wasn’t us.”

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on Saturday that she did not believe the shooting was a justified use of deadly force.

Police were called to the Wendy’s after reports Brooks had fallen asleep in his car and was blocking the drive-thru line, and tried to take him into custody after he failed a field sobriety test, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Body camera footage showed Brooks struggling with officers on the ground before breaking free and running across the parking lot holding what appears to be a police Taser. A second videotape from the restaurant’s cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls.

Lawyers for Brooks’ family said he was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday. They said the officers had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction.

Prosecutors will decide by midweek whether to bring charges, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Sunday.

“(The victim) 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,” Howard told CNN.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-m...ted-of-burning-down-wendys-idUKKBN23L0TX?il=0

 

[cric_man]

What about the guy who was drunk driving, trying to assault a police officer? What if police let him go or never caught him and he killed 10 people in an accident?

Not justifying his shooting, but this guy was no moral angel. A proper probe should be ordered and if police officers are found guilty they should be charged, however, this case should not be clubbed in with the other case and black lives matter movement.

My above point is is assuming OP is accurate.

White guy in florida, stole a police cruiser after being stopped by police. Drove through high traffice on turnpike at well over 150mph speeds.
But in the end was caught "peacefully". Did he not endanger 100s of other drivers????

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/video-shirtless-florida-man-steals-fhp-vehicle-leads-150-mph-chase/157530/

 

[Bigboii]

White guy in florida, stole a police cruiser after being stopped by police. Drove through high traffice on turnpike at well over 150mph speeds.
But in the end was caught "peacefully". Did he not endanger 100s of other drivers????

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/video-shirtless-florida-man-steals-fhp-vehicle-leads-150-mph-chase/157530/

man thats GTA right there tbh )

 

[cric_man]

Another white guy assaults police and hijacks police cruiser. And still lived to share his story at parties...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sometimes things can be as simple as Black and white.<br><br>Show this to anyone who dares claim the cops had to kill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RayshardBrooks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RayshardBrooks</a>. They didn’t.<br><br>Just watch this. Jaw dropping.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <br> <a href="https://t.co/Uqb9936Tnd">pic.twitter.com/Uqb9936Tnd</a></p>— Derenic Byrd (@DerenicByrd) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerenicByrd/status/1272035083323445248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Giannis]

There's got a be a non-fatal way of disarming someone. Police get attacked by thugs in Europe as well but they don't shoot them to death.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

Another white guy assaults police and hijacks police cruiser. And still lived to share his story at parties...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sometimes things can be as simple as Black and white.<br><br>Show this to anyone who dares claim the cops had to kill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RayshardBrooks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RayshardBrooks</a>. They didn’t.<br><br>Just watch this. Jaw dropping.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <br> <a href="https://t.co/Uqb9936Tnd">pic.twitter.com/Uqb9936Tnd</a></p>— Derenic Byrd (@DerenicByrd) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerenicByrd/status/1272035083323445248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I mean if it's not the same cops in the situation - irrelevant no?

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Cant believe some people here are defending this. He was running away and was shot twice in the back. He did not deserve to be executed...This is why the protests are going on......

 

[MenInG]

The death of Rayshard Brooks, a black man killed by a white police officer in Atlanta on Friday, was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back, the Fulton county medical examiner’s office has said, as the US headed into a fourth week of unrest over police violence.

An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed that Brooks, 27, died from blood loss and organ injuries caused by two gunshot wounds, an investigator for the medical examiner said in a statement. The manner of his death was homicide, the statement said.

Brooks’s death reignited protests in Atlanta after days of worldwide demonstrations against racism and police brutality prompted by the death of George Floyd, an African American, in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May.

On Sunday night riot police gathered at a police precinct a few miles from the scene of his killing after reports of threats to burn down a Wendy’s restaurant. They were followed by hundreds of protesters, a handful arriving with cases of water. A chant of “This is not a riot!” went up and one man told police he expected they were there with the “same peaceful intentions” as protesters.

Leading Democrats said on Sunday that the Brooks killing underlined the need for significant change in US law enforcement.

Brooks’s fatal encounter with police came after an employee of a Wendy’s in Atlanta phoned authorities to say that someone had fallen asleep in his car in the restaurant’s drive-through lane.

Recorded on the officer’s body camera and a surveillance camera, the encounter seemed friendly at first as Brooks cooperated with a sobriety test and talked about his daughter’s birthday.

“I watched the interaction with Mr Brooks and it broke my heart,” Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, said on CNN. “This was not confrontational. This was a guy that you were rooting for.”

But when an officer moved to arrest him, Brooks struggled with him and another officer at the scene before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police Taser in his hand, a bystander’s video showed.

A video from the restaurant’s cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls.

Bottoms said on Saturday: “I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force.”

Atlanta’s police chief, Erika Shields, resigned over the shooting. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot Brooks, was fired, and the other officer involved in the incident, also white, was put on administrative leave.

As demonstrators in Atlanta took to the streets and called for the officers in Brooks’s case to be criminally charged, the Wendy’s restaurant was set on fire.

On Sunday police offered a $10,000 reward and published photos of what appeared to be a masked white woman being sought in connection with the fire.

Police said they were seeking those responsible for the blaze, including a woman who was “attempting to hide her identity”. The department posted photos on social media of what looked to be a young white woman wearing a black baseball cap and face mask, and a video clip filmed by a protester that appeared to show a woman encouraging the flames.

“Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy’s,” the man recording the video can be heard saying. “This wasn’t us.”

Lawyers for Brooks’s family said he was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday. They said the officers had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction.

Prosecutors would decide by midweek whether to bring charges, said the Fulton county district attorney, Paul Howard. “[The victim] 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,” Howard told CNN.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...e-shooting-was-homicide-says-medical-examiner

 

[cric_man]

I mean if it's not the same cops in the situation - irrelevant no?

It will be highly unlikely that you will find the same cops involved in multiple cases involving shootings. What I am trying to tell is that this happens across police departments in the US where belligerent and sometimes heavily armed whites are treated with utmost care and police tries to de-escalate the situation before resorting to lethal force. But in the case of people of color, it seems the first instinct is to use lethal force. It is endemic across NYC, ATL, TX, Seattle all over.

The white ex police officer who shot the black jogger ahmuad arbery was asked to come out of his house and surrender to the police. Police didn't use a battering ram to knock his door down and go in guns blazing, shoot indiscriminately, and shove him down on the ground with 8 officers pouncing on him!

 

[cric_man]

Take a look at this.
9 cops arrest a 12 year old black kid. This looks eerily similar what the Israeli fascist do in Palestine.

Police arrest a 21 year old Kid in Sacramento

 

[globalcitizen]

Do you understand that by "take an action", you are talking about taking lives of other people? You seem to be taking that very lightly and not thinking about how making it a minor issue to take lives will lead to long term issues (as it has in US).

if you fail a drunk test you will get arrested, then let off with a fine after getting sober. I don’t see any point in resisting arrest.
every job has its own protocols, police have their own too and abide by it, they have all powers black or white. but yes handling of situation without force should be implemented, for that gun laws need to be relaxed, for that mafia and politics need to be fought. U get the point I hope.
it’s cringe worthy to read some tweets saying he was just sleeping. he was totalled and could have killed others loved ones on road.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

I mean if it's not the same cops in the situation - irrelevant no?

Do you think that if a black guy attacked a white police officer he would get away with it?

 

[MenInG]

Family of Rayshard Brooks calls for reforms, 'justice'

During a news conference on the killing of Rayshard Brooks, his family called for "drastic change" in the Atlanta Police Department.

"The trust that we have with the police force is broken," Tiara Brooks, Rayshard's cousin, said at the news conference.

"True justice will never prevail" because Rayshard will not come back, Tiara said, calling for demonstrations to continue in order to make sure another case like his will not occur.

Lawyer L Chris Stewart, who is representing the Brooks family, questioned whether there was an acceptable definition of justice. He presented what he said were photos of vehicles that had been shot by police during the fatal incident. "It should never have happened," Stewart said.

Rayshard's widow, Tomika Miller, said she wanted to thank everyone for their protests and support.

Miller called on protests to remain peaceful, as the family wants to "keep his name positive and great".

The news conference ended suddenly as one of Brooks's cousins broke down at the mention of his funeral. The man departed in tears, saying: "I want y'all to know, you took my cousin from me ... you took the wrong person," presumably speaking to the Atlanta police.

 

[MenInG]

Atlanta mayor announces series of police reforms

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms has announced immediate reforms within the police department, including orders requiring police officers to de-escalate situations and imposing a duty to intervene when officers see another officer using excessive force.

Bottoms said that, when she saw the death of Rayshard Brooks, "It was clear that we do not have another day, another minute, another hour, to waste."

She said the police must find a better way to handle confrontations, and that she is heartbroken over Brooks' death.

 

[MenInG]

A police officer who fatally shot a fleeing black man in the back last week in Atlanta, Georgia, will be charged with murder and assault, officials say.

Garrett Rolfe, who has already been fired, faces 11 charges related to Rayshard Brooks' death. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

The other officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, will testify as a witness in the case, officials said.

The case comes amid US protests over police killings of black Americans.

Lawmakers in Washington are currently debating new police reform laws.

Officials said this was the ninth time that an Atlanta police officer had been prosecuted for homicide.

They added that it is believed to be the first time a police officer would testify against a member of his own unit, though Mr Brosnan's lawyer denied his client would be a witness in the case.

Mr Brooks, 27, failed a sobriety test on 12 June after he was found asleep inside his car that was blocking a drive-through lane at a Wendy's restaurant.

After pulling over his vehicle, the father-of-four appeared "slightly impaired, but his behaviour during this incident was almost jovial", Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Wednesday.

For over 40 minutes, video shows him complying with officers as he consented to a weapons search and provided them with his identification details.

However, as officers tried to handcuff him, he began struggling. The footage appears to show Mr Brooks punched Mr Rolfe, grabbed Mr Brosnan's stun gun and turned back while fleeing to fire it at Mr Rolfe.

Mr Brooks suffered two gunshots to the back that caused organ injuries and blood loss. One police bullet also hit a witness' vehicle, nearly killing the driver, investigators say.

The struggle that cost Rayshard Brooks his life
Prosecutors said Mr Rolfe said: "I got him." For over two minutes after Mr Brooks was shot, neither officer provided medical attention as police are required to do, prosecutors said.

Instead, Mr Rolfe kicked Mr Brooks while he was on the ground, Mr Howard added.

Officer Brosnan - who has already been placed on administrative leave - will be charged with assault for allegedly standing on Mr Brooks' shoulder as he lay dying.

The district attorney said that eight videos from the scene showed Mr Brooks "displayed no aggressive behaviour during the 41 minutes and 17 seconds" that he was questioned, and posed no physical risk to the officers in that time.

Mr Brooks was 18ft (5.5m) from the officers when he was shot twice in the back, investigators say.

"I believe that at the time of the shooting, Mr Brooks did not represent a threat," Mr Howard said, noting that police rules prohibit firing a Taser at a fleeing suspect.

"So he certainly cannot fire a handgun at someone running away," he said.

How have the suspects responded?

A lawyer for Mr Rolfe blamed Mr Brooks for his choice to "violently attack" the arresting officers "suddenly, without warning or provocation".

"Mr Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them," continued the statement issued by the LoRusso Law Firm.

"When Mr Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable, or seriously injure him."

A lawyer for Mr Brosnan disputed the district attorney's claim that he will serve as a "state's witness", or that he has already admitted to standing on Mr Brooks as he died.

"It's absolutely untrue," lawyer Don Samuel told the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper.

The shooting came as the nation was already in uproar over the death in police custody of another unarmed black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The four officers involved in Mr Floyd's arrest have been sacked and are facing charges of second-degree murder, or aiding and abetting murder.

The Wendy's restaurant where Mr Brooks died was burned by arsonists after about 1,000 protesters turned up there in the hours after his death. His death also led to the resignation of Atlanta's chief of police.

A lawyer for Mr Brooks' widow, Tomika Miller, told the Associated Press that he was not aware of some of the details announced on Wednesday, such as Mr Rolfe's alleged kick as Mr Brooks lay dying.

"It's heartbreaking, but it's an attempt to redefine justice," said lawyer L Chris Stewart.


Media captionThe Wendy's drive-through restaurant was set on fire over Mr Brooks' shooting
Why this case is different

Analysis by Jessica Lussenhop, BBC News

The swiftness with which a white police officer has been fired and then charged with murder in the killing of Rayshard Brooks is just the latest sign of how rapidly and dramatically police agencies have shifted strategy when it comes to dealing with deadly force cases.

Historically, not only have police chiefs been reticent to take action against officers involved in in-custody deaths until a "full investigation" had taken place, they've been quick to defend the officer's use of force if he or she "reasonably" believed that a person had a deadly weapon or posed immediate danger to the officer.

In this case, video shows that Brooks had taken the officer's Taser and appears to use it. But not only is the weapon designated as less than lethal, the video shows he was running away and that the shots that killed him entered his back.

Now the officer faces 11 charges, the question of whether or not a Taser should be considered a deadly weapon will surely come into play, as well as whether the officer had "reasonable" fear of Brooks.

What is already clear is that police departments are not feeling nearly as confident relying on the old strategies and rhetoric that historically have allowed them to slow-play their response to a police-involved killing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53084232

 

[The Viper]

Rayshard Brooks funeral held at church where Martin Luther King preached

A private funeral for the Black man who was killed by a White police officer in a fast-food parking lot is taking place on Tuesday at the church in Atlanta where the Rev Martin Luther King Jr once preached.

Rayshard Brooks’ gold casket was escorted by a black and white funeral hearse, and featured a poster that read “killed in Atlanta Georgia 2020”.

King’s daughter, the Rev Bernice King, was expected deliver remarks at the private service, along with a friend of Brooks, his mother-in-law, and the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Rev Raphael Warnock, who is also a Democratic candidate for Senate.

“Rayshard Brooks wasn’t just running from the police. He was running from a system that makes slaves out of people. A system that doesn’t give ordinary people who’ve made mistakes a second chance, a real shot at redemption,” Warnock plans to say, according to a short excerpt released Monday.

Officer Garrett Rolfe fatally shot Brooks in the back after Brooks fired a Taser in his direction while running away after a struggle with officers outside a Wendy’s restaurant on 12 June. Rolfe, 27, is white. Brooks, 27, was Black.

King’s daughter, the Rev Bernice King, also plans to deliver remarks at Brooks’ funeral, along with a friend of his and his mother-in-law, according to a draft program released by the church.

“Ebenezer is a parish for all people, a sanctuary for those who suffer,” Warnock said in a statement when the funeral plans were first announced. “Rayshard was not a member of our church but he, and his loved ones, are a part of our family. We seek to embrace them, comfort them and walk beside them in the days ahead.”

Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry has offered financial help for the services, according to that statement. Popular gospel singers Smokie Norful, Tamela Mann and Kurt Carr are expected to perform at Tuesday’s service.

When officers responded to complaints of a car blocking the Wendy’s drive-thru lane, they found Brooks asleep in the car. Police body camera video then showed Brooks and officers having a calm and respectful conversation for more than 40 minutes.

After conducting field sobriety tests, Rolfe told Brooks he’d had “too much to drink to be driving”. Brooks resisted being handcuffed, and he and the two officers wrestled on the ground. Brooks grabbed one of their Tasers and fired it in their direction as he ran away.

An autopsy found he was shot twice in the back.

Rolfe was fired and the other officer, 26-year-old Devin Brosnan, was placed on desk duty after the shooting. Police chief Erika Shields stepped down less than 24 hours after Brooks died.

Fulton county district attorney Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Rolfe, including felony murder, and said the officer kicked Brooks as he lay dying. Brosnan, who the prosecutor said stood on Brooks’ shoulder as he struggled for his life, is charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath.

Lawyers for both men said their clients’ actions were justified.

Interim police chief Rodney Bryant has said he was surprised Howard brought charges so quickly, before the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had finished looking into the shooting. The GBI said in a tweet after Howard announced the charges that the agency was not consulted on the charges.

Both Rolfe and Brosnan turned themselves in Thursday. Brosnan was released on bond. Rolfe was being held without bond.

Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, a black man who died from an illegal chokehold enforced by a New York police officer in 2014, told CNN she “stand with [the Brooks family] in solidarity”.

“I am so, so sympathetic and empathetic about the loss of their loved one,” she said. “That young man should not be dead, in my opinion, he was doing nothing, absolutely nothing, to bring on his death. He was really not a threat”.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...atlanta-church-martin-luther-king-jr-preached

 

[MenInG]

Martin Luther King Jr's daughter: 'I know the pain of growing up without a father'

Speaking at Rayshard Brooks' funeral in Atlanta, Reverend Bernice A King described growing up without her father Martin Luther King Jr and the subsequent attention that followed his assassination in 1968.

Mr Brooks, a father of four, was killed by police on 12 June in the car park of a fast food restaurant.

Former police officer Garrett Rolfe, faces 11 charges related to Rayshard Brooks' death. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.


<iframe width="400" height="500" frameborder="0" src="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/embed/p08hthxp/53159446"></iframe>

 

[MenInG]

A judge has granted bail for an ex-Atlanta police officer charged with killing an African-American man in a restaurant car park earlier this month.

Garrett Rolfe, now free on a $500,000 (£403,000) bond, faces 11 charges, including murder, for the death of Rayshard Brooks, 27, on 12 June.

Mr Brooks' widow implored the judge not to grant bail, arguing Mr Rolfe was a danger to the community.

Mr Brooks' death fuelled anti-racism protests across the US.

He was shot while fleeing Mr Rolfe and another white officer. Mr Brooks had just failed a sobriety test. As the officers tried to arrest him, he punched Mr Rolfe, snatched his partner's Taser and then appeared to fire the stun gun towards Mr Rolfe as he gave chase, according to footage.

Tomika Miller, Mr Brooks' widow, spoke at the bond hearing on Tuesday via video.

Through tears, she told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick that Mr Rolfe "has already shown he's a danger to the community".

"My husband did not deserve to die, and I should not live in fear while waiting for the man who killed my husband to be tried in court."

Ms Miller said Mr Brooks was a loving father, and that he had died on her daughter's birthday and a day before the couple's anniversary.

Judge Barwick thanked Ms Miller for her bravery but said Mr Rolfe was not a flight risk and that she did not believe he posed a danger to the community.

Prosecutors had requested a $1m bond plus conditions: the passcode to Mr Rolfe's phone, his passport and firearms, as well as instating a curfew, requiring an ankle monitor and prohibiting contact with Atlanta police, witnesses or victims.

Mr Rolfe's lawyers, who argue he acted in self-defence, had asked for a $50,000 bond. They also denied prosecutors' allegation that Mr Rolfe kicked Mr Brooks as he lay on the ground.

Mr Rolfe will not have had to pay half a million dollars to walk free. Bail in the US typically costs about 10-15% of the total bond amount.

Judge Barwick denied the request for the passcode, but approved the other conditions set by prosecutors.

Mr Rolfe also appeared during the hearing via teleconference but did not speak.

The officers were responding on 12 June to a call from a Wendy's fast food restaurant employee that an apparently intoxicated customer, Mr Brooks, had fallen asleep in his car, blocking a drive-through lane.

Footage from police body cameras showed Mr Brooks complying with officers for over 40 minutes before he fought to break free as they tried to handcuff him.

The other officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, faces several charges including aggravated assault for allegedly standing on Mr Brooks' shoulder after the shooting.

Last week a woman referred to by Mr Brooks during the arrest as his girlfriend was charged with an arson attack on the Wendy's.

The night after Mr Brooks was shot, the restaurant was burned down in alleged retaliation for the 911 call that led to his death.

Natalie White, 29, did not enter a plea during her court appearance and was placed under house arrest on a $10,000 bail bond.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53244425

 

[Indiafan]

*** so the police are not allowed to do their job now when it comes to black people? So the officers should have just stood there and got tased by this guy or worse let this guy run off with the taser and tase members of the public? What is this coming to?

So killing people is now policemen's job. I can guarantee if police do something in your own country you will whine and complain. This is blatant racism shown by many people here who defend killing of black people for minor things

The police are trained to disarm and over power attackers. Imagine defending taking of lives over such a thing. Lets ban all courts and just have police execute people on the spot

 

[Indiafan]

if you fail a drunk test you will get arrested, then let off with a fine after getting sober. I don’t see any point in resisting arrest.
every job has its own protocols, police have their own too and abide by it, they have all powers black or white. but yes handling of situation without force should be implemented, for that gun laws need to be relaxed, for that mafia and politics need to be fought. U get the point I hope.
it’s cringe worthy to read some tweets saying he was just sleeping. he was totalled and could have killed others loved ones on road.

So your solution is to shoot all, drunk drivers. Or is it only black drunk drivers?

The only cringe-worthy thing here is some people defending the shooting and it's obvious why

 

[ahsan17]

So your solution is to shoot all, drunk drivers. Or is it only black drunk drivers?

The only cringe-worthy thing here is some people defending the shooting and it's obvious why

I think for some people, other people in far away lands and culture dying is a very abstract thing, so they don't really realize how big a deal it is. For them, the only options the police had was either to let the guy get away or kill him - no third or fourth option available. And because they think about killing in such an abstract way, they can rationalize it. But yes, if it were to happen in their family or community, it would be entirely different.

 

[Indiafan]

I think for some people, other people in far away lands and culture dying is a very abstract thing, so they don't really realize how big a deal it is. For them, the only options the police had was either to let the guy get away or kill him - no third or fourth option available. And because they think about killing in such an abstract way, they can rationalize it. But yes, if it were to happen in their family or community, it would be entirely different.

Sadly, it's not just the abstract nature but also the skin color. South Asians have an inherent inferiority complex towards people with white skin and a superiority complex towards people with black skin

I can guarantee if it was a white person shot none of these people would defend the police. Racist thinking is rampant here