An Atlanta police officer has been fired and another placed on administrative duty following the fatal shooting of a black man, the police department announced early Sunday.
Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot dead by an officer Friday night at a Wendy’s drive-through in the city.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday as the killing sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police had gone down.
The officer who killed Brooks was terminated Saturday, police spokesman Carlos Campos said. He was identified by police as Garrett Rolfe. A second officer involved in the killing was placed on administrative duty. That officer was named as Devin Bronsan.
The police department also released body camera and dash camera footages from both officers.
Police responded to a call Friday night about a man sleeping in a parked vehicle in the restaurant’s drive-through lane, causing other customers to drive around it, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
When they arrived, police gave Brooks a sobriety test, which he failed.
He resisted arrest, struggled with the officers and grabbed a Taser, the agency said. A video from a witness captured that struggle. The video, shot from a cell phone, shows a scuffle between two officers and Brooks. Brooks eventually seems to break free and starts running away.
Surveillance video provided by the GBI shows him running from the officers and appears to point the stun gun in their direction before falling to the ground.
He was shot and taken to the hospital, where he died, the GBI says. An officer was treated for an injury and released.
Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendy’s restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot. Atlanta police said 36 people were arrested at protests as of midnight.
Brooks’ fatal shooting comes about three weeks after George Floyd’s death sparked global demonstrations that decried police brutality and racism. Floyd died after pleading for his life while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Senior Russian General Killed In Bomb Attack Linked To Ukraine
John Mahama Defeats Bawumia In Ghana’s Presidential Election
South Korean President Apologizes For Martial Law Attempt
Biden Pardons Son Hunter, Citing Selective Prosecution And Miscarriage Of Justice