Atlanta Police Officer Fired And Wendy’s Set Ablaze After Fatal Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks

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.

KEY FACTS

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.

Key background

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)