Video emerged this week of Rayshard Brooks' murder who was fatally shot by police in a Wendy's parking lot after falling asleep in his car. 27-year-old Brooks was shot by police on Friday night. As protests continue to take place across the country, including Atlanta, the Atlanta PD announced that they've fired Officer Garrett Rolfe earlier today. His partner, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative leave.
The firing of Rolfe comes just a day after the police chief Erika Shields resigned from the position. "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," Shields said in a statement.
Brooks was shot and killed in a Wendy's parking lot after police attempted to get him to do a sobriety test. Bodycam footage of the incident was released to the public in the past few days showing Brooks complying with the police. As they continued to to press him to do a sobriety test, he said he was just going to leave his car in the parking lot and walk to his sister's home, yet both Rolfe and Brosnan pressed him to do a sobriety test for "investigation" purposes. Police attempted to cuff him but Brooks resisted and allegedly stole a taser which is when police fatally murdered him.
"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," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a news conference. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force."
Brooks was taken to the hospital where he died after undergoing surgery.
