Garrett Rolfe, the white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks on June 12 and was fired the next day faces 11 charges including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Paul Howard, Fulton County District Attorney told a news conference in Atlanta. Howard said Rolfe faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
The killing of Brooks came amid ongoing protests in U.S. cities prompted by the popular and controversial May 25 death of an African-American man named George Floyd after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him.
Howard said Rolfe kicked Brooks after shooting him and that Devin Brosnan, Another white officer who was on the scene stood on the wounded man’s body as he was fighting for his life. Howard recommended that the judge hold Rolfe without bond. Devin Brosnan has been charged with aggravated assault and violations of his oath of office, Howard added.
Howard told reporters that after he reviewed eight videos of the incident, Brooks did not pose an immediate threat of death to the officers and acted in a calm and “almost jovial” manner and cooperated with the police as the incident initially unfolded.
An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed that Brooks was shot twice in the back and died from blood loss and organ injuries. The local medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide.
Brooks was reported asleep in a car in the Wendy’s drive-through lane, blocking traffic. A restaurant employee called the 911 emergency telephone line, complaining about a man who would not move the vehicle and appeared intoxicated.
After interacting with Rolfe and Brosnan, Brooks tussled with the officers and ran off with one of their Taser devices.
The killing sparked protests in Atlanta. The Wendy’s restaurant was burned down in the unrest.
Atlanta’s police chief, Erika Shields, resigned after the killing of Brooks.
Also, Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the aftermath of the killing announced reforms within the police department, including orders requiring officers to de-escalate situations and directing them to intervene if they see a colleague using excessive force.
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