A special prosecutor ruled on Tuesday that the police killing of a Black man parked outside a fast-food restaurant in Georgia was legally justified.
Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot in 2020, just a few weeks after after the death of George Floyd.
Brooks was detained by police during a traffic stop next to a Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta on June 12, 2020. Bodycam video showed Brooks asleep in the driver’s seat, blocking the drive-through lane.
Two White police questioned Brooks for just over 40 miunutes. He complied with the officers’ requests, but failed a breathalyzer test. When the officers tried to arrest him, and he became combative.
Surveillance video showed Brooks grab one of the officer’s Tasers and fire it at police while he ran away.
Brooks was fatally shot by police as he ran away.
Officer Garrett Rolfe fired shots at Brooks, which hit him twice in the back. Rolfe was facing 11 charges related to the death, including murder.
Officer Devin Brosnan faced at least two charges, including aggravated assault and violation of oath.
On Tuesday, Peter Skandalakis, the special prosecutor, said the police shooting was justified because the Taser would have been considered a deadly weapon.
Skandalakis said race was not a factor.
The local NAACP disagreed with the decision to drop the charges against the officers, adding that a grand jury should have made a decision on the case. The leader of the organization also said race was “absolutely” a factor in the deadly shooting.
More about the case and police shooting of Brooks can be found here.
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