TOPLINE
Protests against police brutality and racism were refuelled in Atlanta overnight after demonstrators set ablaze the Wendy’s restaurant where 27-year-old black man Rayshard Brooks was shot dead by police the night before, while the officers involved in the shooting were later fired and placed on administrative leave.
People are detained during protests Saturday, June 13, 2020, near the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard ... [+]
KEY FACTS
Protesters set the restaurant on fire, while some marched onto the Interstate-75 and stopped traffic before being held back by a line of police cars.
The demonstrations came after Brooks was fatally shot by police at the Wendy’s drive-thru just after 10:30pm on Friday, as officers were called to complaints about a man falling asleep in his parked car while in line, causing other cars to drive around it.
The restaurant was set ablaze late on Saturday, with fires raging for about 45 minutes and completely destroying the building before fire crews put out the flames.
Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot Brooks, was fired on Saturday, while Devin Bronsan, a second officer involved in the fatal shooting, was placed on administrative leave. Both officers are white.
Some 36 protesters were arrested, while dozens were calling for the officers involved to be criminally charged on Saturday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.
The firings follow the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, and come after Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called for the officer involved to be fired.
Bottoms said at a news conference on Saturday: “I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force."
"RIP Rayshard" is spray painted on a sign as as flames engulf a Wendy's restaurant during protests ... [+]
Crucial comment
Former NAACP President, Cornell William Brooks, described the death as “tragically classic.” He told CNN: “This video, this police homicide occurs in the wake of Ahmaud Arbery, occurs in the wake of Philando Castile, George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor and so many others.”
Key background
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Brooks failed a sobriety test and officers attempted to arrest him after. The GBI released CCTV footage of the incident, which was also captured on film by bystanders and shows officers and Brooks in a struggle before Brooks got hold of one of the officers’ Tasers and ran away. Brooks turned and appeared to point the Taser towards officers before the officer fired his weapon and struck Brooks, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Brooks died in hospital following surgery, hours before he was set to celebrate his 8-year-old daughter’s birthday the following morning, family lawyer Justin Miller said on Saturday.
News peg
Brooks’ shooting comes nearly three weeks after unarmed black man George Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis when white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd’s death ignited nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, movements against police brutality and anti-racism demonstrations around the world. Since Floyd’s death, a wave of reform has begun to sweep through police departments across the nation, including banning chokeholds and neck restraints. Calls are also growing for police departments to cut police funding and redirect the money to other, underfunded areas such as mental health and domestic violence.
Tangent
Atlanta Police Department came under fire earlier this month for violently yanking two black students out of a car during Black Lives Matter protests in the city. Four officers involved in that incident were fired for using excessive force including tasing the couple in the car, breaking windows and forcing them to the ground before handcuffing them with zip ties and breaking the male student’s arm—despite none of them being aggressive towards police.
Further reading
Atlanta Police Chief Resigns After Black Man Fatally Shot By Officer At Wendy’s Drive-Thru (Forbes)
Atlanta Police Fire 2 More Officers In Yanking Students From Car: Report (Forbes)
Cuomo Ordering Local Police To ‘Reform’ Or Lose New York State Funding (Forbes)
Police reforms quickly take hold across America. It's only just getting started (CNN)
Minneapolis City Council Unanimously Votes To Replace Police With Community-Led Model (Forbes)
