Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot dead by Atlanta police Friday night at a Wendy’s drive thru.
Brooks’ fatal shooting comes about three weeks after George Floyd’s death sparked global demonstrations that decried police brutality and racism. Floyd died after pleading for his life while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Atlanta protests have remained ongoing since.
Police responded to a call Friday night about a man sleeping in a parked vehicle in the restaurant’s drive-thru lane, causing other customers to drive around it, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. When they arrived, police gave Brooks a sobriety test, which he failed.
Brooks resisted arrest and struggled with the officers, grabbing a Taser, the agency’s statement said. He was then shot and taken to hospital, where he died.
Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot and killed Brooks, was dismissed on Saturday, said a police spokesman, and a second officer involved in the killing, Devin Bronsan, was placed on administrative duty.
“So we’ve reached this point where the people have simply experienced too much.”
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