Officer Who Fatally Shot Rayshard Brooks Was Previously Disciplined For Use Of Force With Firearm

TOPLINE

According to records released Tuesday by the Atlanta Police Department, Garrett Rolfe, the officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, had been the subject of prior disciplinary investigations, including a use-of-force violation involving the use of a firearm in 2016.

KEY FACTS

Key Background:

Neither officer has been criminally charged in connection with the case. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said he would decide by midweek whether to bring charges against the officers. Howard told CNN that the possible charges against Rolfe included murder, felony murder and involuntary manslaughter. The determination to bring charges would depend on whether they felt Brooks posed a threat. Since the incident, Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned from her position, and multiple protests have taken place in the city.

Critical Quote:

“He did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone,” District Attorney Howard said of Rayshard Brooks, “and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable.”

Tangent:

Last week, New York’s Senate passed a bill to repeal a stringent statute in the state’s civil code that prohibits the release of all personnel records used to evaluate police officers’ performance without permission from the officer or a judge. The controversial statute, section 50-A of New York State’s Civil Rights law, keeps the personnel records of police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers “confidential and not subject to inspection or review without the express written consent” of the officer or by court order. Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer arrested in the death of George Floyd, was involved in three police shootings during his 19 years on the job and has been the subject of 10 conduct complaints that resulted in no disciplinary action, according to reports. Chauvin also has been the subject of multiple internal complaints, according to a database compiled by Communities United Against Police Brutality. 

Further Reading:

Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks had past reprimand for use of force (Reuters) 

New York Senate Votes To Repeal Law That Kept Police Records Secret (Forbes) 

Investigators release disciplinary records of Rayshard Brooks arresting officers, 911 call (ABC News)