Source: @KristenClarkeJD / Twitter
Atlanta PD had one job, don’t murder anybody, and they failed. After the killing of Rayshard Brooks, the Atlanta police chief has resigned, one officer has been fired and the city is in turmoil as protests broke out in response to the 27-year-old being shot in the back as he ran way.
On Friday night (June 12), police were summoned to a Wendy’s in Atlanta, where a car was blocking the drive-thru. Brooks was in the aforementioned vehicle and reportedly asleep.
After allegedly failing a sobriety test, the situation escalated with Brooks resisting arrest. Bodycam footage and footage from the Wendy’s indeed showed Brooks resisting and getting into a scuffle with the two arresting officers. He managed to take one of the cops’ tasers and began running away. A cop with a taser in hand gave chase and Brooks did turn around and fire (he seemingly missed) the taser he had in his hand.
This is when one of the officers—Garrett Rolfe—used deadly force, shooting Brooks with his firearm. Brooks died while he was in the hospital.
So was deadly force justified on a man who was clearly running away, and for the crime of sleeping in his car? Where you stand depends on your status on the racism scale.
After the shooting, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned while the cop who shot and killed Brooks has been fired. Nevertheless, the incident sparked riots in Atlanta on Saturday night (June 13) and the Wendy’s where it occurred has been burned to the ground. While Rolfe got sacked, his partner, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on modified duty.
A witness took video of the altercation, and it quickly went viral.
In what was clearly an attempt at damage control, the Atlanta PD quickly released its own body cam footage. It doesn’t vindicate them considering the circumstances.
The fact deadly force is being used on Black people when it was not necessary is just one of the reasons protests have ignited across the globe in response to the murder of George Floyd. Atlanta PD only add more gasoline to a fire that was seemingly coming under control.
According to Brook’s lawyer, he was a father of four, and he was shot three times in the back. Check out some poignant reactions Rayshard Brooks execution below.
Atlanta PD Killed Rayshard Brooks, Police Chief Resigns & Protests Break Out was originally published on hiphopwired.com
1.
GBI released video that shows the moment Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta Police officer at a Wendys on University Ave last night. Police say Brooks had taken an officer's taser and pointed it at the officer as he ran. pic.twitter.com/1G8fn03gFV
— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 13, 2020
2.
#BREAKING Large crowd gathering outside a Wendy’s in #Atlanta following an officer involved shooting. Police allegedly fatally shot an unarmed black man in the parking lot around 11:30pm. So far, they have only confirmed an officer-involved shooting. Few details. #AtlantaProtests pic.twitter.com/HHgi899Kj2
— Eric Wasserman 🦆 "WASS" (@EricWasserman1) June 13, 2020
3.
Rayshard Brooks.
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) June 14, 2020
A 27 yr old father of 3 girls and 1 stepson. Was celebrating his daughter’s 8th birthday and was planning to take her skating.
His crime? Allegedly sleeping in his car in a Wendy’s parking lot in Atlanta. Shot 3 times in the back and killed. #RayshardBrooks pic.twitter.com/stKK0h2l2M
4.
HAPPENING NOW: Dozens of people have gathered at a scene where Atlanta Police along with GBI are investigating an officer involved shooting. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/OqaZBJY7XQ
— Aiun Nettles (@godfamilytravel) June 13, 2020
5.
Protesters in Atlanta shutdown an interstate after the murder of Rayshard Brooks by police. #RayshardBrooks #AtlantaShooting #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/xoxQpjoVuC
— Omar Moore (@thepopcornreel) June 14, 2020
6.
#BREAKING Protesters have shut down I-85 near University ave, the highway that stretches over the Wendy's where #RayshardBrooks was shot and killed @fox5atlanta pic.twitter.com/UxzLzpF5Ym
— Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020
7.
When #RayshardBrooks said take me home... why didn’t the cop say OK, let’s take you home???? Because he wasn’t there to help 🗣 and that’s the problem! https://t.co/qxUK9aiiCd
— Eunique’s Playing #CultureTags (@eunique) June 14, 2020
8.
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 #AtlantaShooting #AtlantaProtests https://t.co/jpFhU7T8Ij
— Anonymous 👥 (@YourAnonCentral) June 14, 2020
9.
In the video, I see a man literally fighting and then running for his life. The ofcr, I can tell you now, will say he felt that #RayshardBrooks was a threat to his life and to others. I know this b/c this has proved so effective for ofcrs who kill innocent Black ppl. Here’s why.
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) June 14, 2020
10.
11.
The excuses people tell themselves about why its ok to shoot us is exhausting. Drugs”, “drunk”, “wasn’t complying”, “shouldn’t have ran”, “didn’t speak w/respect”, “slept in a parking lot”. The stress levels that black people are functioning in is pure insanity. #RayshardBrooks
— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) June 14, 2020
12.
Officer Garrett Rolfe has been terminated by Atlanta PD in the Officer-involved shooting of #RayshardBrooks. He had been on the job since 2013, according to Atlanta PD. #AtlantaShooting pic.twitter.com/wOO8m8Xc1S
— Stephanie Wash (@WashNews) June 14, 2020
13.
The penalty for sleeping in your car should not be death.
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 14, 2020
The penalty for resisting arrest should not be death.
The penalty for running away from police should not be death.
Yet there is too often no penalty for police who kill Black men and women. #RayshardBrooks pic.twitter.com/471GdxGdbp
14.
Instead of asking: Why did they have to set the Wendy’s on fire?
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) June 14, 2020
Ask instead: Why did they have to murder #RayshardBrooks?
People over property
15.
Show this to anyone who dares claim the cops had to kill #RayshardBrooks.
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) June 14, 2020
They didn’t.
This is in Virginia.
This man murdered 2 women & 1 child. Attacked officers while naked. Choked a church groundskeeper. And finally w/100 cops—was detained alive.pic.twitter.com/qHO1c0hpZW
16.
Another Black American was killed by police today, this time at a Wendy’s in Atlanta. #RayshardBrooks, who did not have any lethal weapons, was running away from the police when he was shot.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 14, 2020
But the below is what @realDonaldTrump wants to tell the American people at this time. https://t.co/74YoG8awzr
17.
Imagine if someone checked to see if #RayshardBrooks was okay, offered him water, food, checked to see if he was hurt or homeless. Sleeping in your car in the Wendy’s drive thru is inconvenient, not a threat. The police don’t need to be called for everything. #BlackLivesMatter
— Jared Barnes (@MrJaredBarnes) June 14, 2020
18.
“Arrest the cops” being chanted by protesters right now near the Wendy’s where #RayshardBrooks died. pic.twitter.com/oyE3vyny6O
— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 14, 2020
19.
How white people acted after a jury somehow acquitted (black) O.J. Simpson of the brutal homicide of two (white) people, Ron and Nicole, a bloody double execution that evidence showed Simpson clearly committed...#RayshardBrooks #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/ED0VkLHvEC
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) June 14, 2020
20.
The Wendy's where #RayshardBrooks was fatally shot in the parking lot last night is now in flames. Photos from Ben Gray pic.twitter.com/dfvibL5JcC
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) June 14, 2020
