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Family of Rayshard Brooks speaks out
The family of Rayshard Brooks, a black man who was shot and killed by police in a Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta, and their attorneys address reporters at a news conference Monday, June 15, 2020.
ATLANTA - Tyler Perry is paying for the funeral costs of the man shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer Friday night, a lawyer for the victim's family announced on Monday.
Speaking on Monday, the family of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks and their lawyers demanded justice after he was shot outside a southwest Atlanta Wendy's. Brooks died after surgery from his gunshot wounds.
"It's support like that and it's people who are actually in this community, love this community, who want that healing, to step forward. And we want to thank him for such a generous move," Attorney L. Chris Stewart said.
Atlanta police video released Sunday showing a seemingly routine sobriety check outside the restaurant that quickly spun out of control, ending in gunfire. The killing of Brooks in an encounter with two white officers late Friday rekindled fiery protests in Atlanta and prompted the police chief’s resignation.
The two officers’ body cameras and the dash-mounted cameras in their patrol cars showed they spent more than 40 minutes peacefully questioning Brooks. The fighting erupted when they tried to handcuff Brooks.
The officers were called late Friday over complaints of a car blocking the restaurant’s drive-thru lane. Officer Devin Brosnan arrived first and found Brooks alone in the car, apparently asleep. Brooks agreed to move the car, showed his license, and Rolfe arrived minutes later to conduct a sobriety check.
“I know you’re just doing your job,” Brooks says on video after consenting to a breath test. He mentions celebrating his daughter’s birthday and says: ”I just had a few drinks, that’s all.”
Officer Garrett Rolfe doesn’t tell Brooks the results though his body camera recorded a digital readout of 0.108 — higher than the 0.08-gram blood alcohol content considered too intoxicated to drive in Georgia.
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“All right, I think you’ve had too much to drink to be driving,” Rolfe tells Brooks. “Put your hands behind your back.”
The video shows each officer take hold of one of Brooks’ wrists as Rolfe tries to handcuff him. Brooks tries to run and the officers take him to the ground.
“Stop fighting!” one officer yells.
One of the dash cameras recorded the brawl. As Brooks fights to stand, Brosnan presses a Taser to his leg and threatens to stun him. Brooks grabs the Taser and pulls it away. He struggles to his feet, the Taser in his hand, and starts running.
Rolfe fires his Taser and a yelp can be heard above the weapon’s electric crackle. Rolfe runs after Brooks, and seconds later three gunshots sound.
MORE ABOUT THE RAYSHARD BROOKS SHOOTING
Both officers’ body cameras were knocked to the ground in the struggle, and none of the four police cameras captured the shooting. Footage released from a Wendy’s security camera showed Brooks turn and point an object in his hand at one of the officers, who was steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires.
“As I pursued him, he turned and started firing the Taser at me,” Rolfe told a supervisor after the shooting in a videotaped conversation. “...He definitely did shoot it at me at least once.”
GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said Sunday she could not confirm whether Brooks fired the Taser.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Saturday she doesn’t believe the shooting was justified. Police Chief Erika Shields, who joined the department as a beat officer in 1995, resigned.
On Sunday, Police said the department terminated Rolfe and Brosnan was placed on administrative duty. Rolfe had worked for the department since October 2013, and Brosnan since September 2018.
Brooks’ death inflamed raw emotions in Atlanta and across the U.S. following the May 25 police custody killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.