The white Atlanta cop who fatally shot black drunk-driving suspect Rayshard Brooks was fired within simply 24 hours following mounting protests within the metropolis.
Garrett Rolfe, a seven-year veteran of the division just lately skilled on de-escalation ways, was swiftly fired the day after Friday night time’s capturing, officers introduced simply earlier than midnight.
The colleague who had been with him, Devin Brosnan — who joined the division in 2018 — was placed on administrative depart through the investigation, officers stated.
The firing adopted calls from Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who had insisted the capturing was not a “justified use of lethal pressure.”
The officers’ boss, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, additionally resigned over the deadly incident, citing a “deep and abiding love for this Metropolis and this division.”
Atlanta Police Union consultant Ken Allen advised the Atlanta Journal-Structure that rank and file was “devastated” by Rolfe’s firing and demoralized at shedding Shields’ management.
“I actually wouldn’t be proactive if I was an officer now,” he advised AJC of Rolfe, who was 27, the identical age as father-of-four Brooks.
Rolfe — who just lately had nine-hours of use-of-force coaching — was an “distinctive officer” who adopted correct process in his dealing with of Brooks’ tried arrest, the union rep insisted.
The killing sparked a brand new wave of protests in Atlanta, the place demonstrations following the Might 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis had largely simmered down.
The Wendy’s restaurant outdoors which Brooks was fatally shot was set ablaze Saturday night time. Different demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping site visitors, earlier than police used squad automobiles to carry them again.
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