The decision to charge them before the Georgia Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation led to accusations that Howard, who was up for re-election, was acting out of political expedience. Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault and violation of oath. During the days of protests that followed, the Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) restaurant where Brooks was shot was burned to the ground.ĭays after the shooting, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged Rolfe with felony murder, aggravated assault and other crimes. The shooting, which took place about two weeks after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, exacerbated outrage over law enforcement's use of force against people of color.
"The key thing is that they decided to use lethal force as the man was running away," said Justin Miller, one of the lawyers. The Brooks family was "heartbroken, confused, but not angry" and planned to bring the case to civil court, its attorneys said at a press conference. The decision, which will lead to the dismissal of all charges against Rolfe and Brosnan, drew criticism from a local civil rights leader, who said a grand jury should have decided. "Based on the facts and circumstances confronting Officer Rolfe and Officer Brosnan in this case, it's my conclusion that the use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and that they did not act with criminal intent," Daniel Porter, a former Gwinnett County district attorney who took part in the review, said during a presentation of the finding. Peter Skandalakis, a special prosecutor appointed to review the case, said Rolfe was justified in shooting Brooks because the Taser could be considered a deadly weapon in such circumstances and the suspect was threatening the officers with serious bodily harm. He had taken a Taser from a second officer, Devin Brosnan, and fired the device at both. Officer Garrett Rolfe shot Rayshard Brooks after the 27-year-old suspect resisted an attempt by police to arrest him and started to run away.
REUTERS/Dustin Chambers 2/2ĪTLANTA (Reuters) -A special prosecutor will not pursue criminal charges against a white Atlanta police officer who fatally shot a Black man outside a fast-food restaurant in 2020, saying on Tuesday that the use of deadly force was justified. FILE PHOTO: People attend a rally for racial justice on the one year anniversary of the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., June 12, 2021.
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