Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks

An Atlanta police officer has been fired and another was placed on administrative leave following the deadly shooting of a 27-year-old black man on Friday night, the city’s police department told The Associated Press. 

The announcement comes after the death of Rayshard Brooks fueled a new wave of protests in Atlanta, with demonstrators gathering outside the Wendy’s restaurant where the man was shot. By Saturday night, the building was in flames.

The killing also prompted Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields to announce her resignation on Saturday. 

The officer fired was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who joined the Atlanta Police Department in October 2013, spokesman Sgt. John Chafee said. Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018, was the officer placed on administrative leave. 

Brooks was shot in the parking lot of a Wendy’s in Atlanta late Friday after officers responded to a complaint that a man was lying in his car asleep in the restaurant’s drive-thru.

Officers attempted to place Brooks in custody after he failed a sobriety test, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said. The agency said Saturday that Brooks was fatally shot after getting into a struggle with officers and obtaining one of their Tasers. Citing surveillance video from the restaurant and other footage shared on social media, it noted that Brooks attempted to flee the scene. 

Surveillance footage shared by the GBI showed that Brooks turned and fired the Taser at an officer while running away. The officer then drew his handgun and fired at Brooks in response. Rolfe reportedly fired his weapon three times, striking Brooks. 

Brooks was then taken to a nearby hospital, where he died following surgery. 

The GBI said it is conducting an independent investigation into the incident. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is set to take over the case once the probe is completed. 

The police department has released dash and body camera footage from both officers, according to reports. Some of the released footage indicates that about 40 minutes transpired between when Brosnan first arrived on the scene and when Brooks was shot. Rolfe reportedly arrived at the Wendy’s parking lot about 16 minutes after Brosnan. 

But the shooting was reportedly not captured by any of the four videos provided by police. Brosnan’s and Rolfe’s body cameras fell off while a struggle took place between them and Brooks. Footage showed Brooks fighting off the officers as they attempted to handcuff him. The 27-year-old victim was seen being tased briefly before he was shot. 

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) on Saturday called for the “immediate termination” of the officer who shot Brooks, saying she did not believe a “deadly use of force” was warranted in the situation. 

Shields said in a statement that her decision to step down stemmed from a “deep and abiding love for this City and this department.” She pushed for the city to “move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

The police shooting came amid increasing unrest over police brutality and racial injustice. Protests swept the nation in the weeks following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

On Saturday, demonstrators in Atlanta shut down a major highway and set the Wendy’s where Brooks was shot on fire. Video showed numerous people gathered outside the restaurant before it was set ablaze. At least 36 people were arrested amid the protests, according to CNN. 

UPDATED 10:51 a.m.