Rayshard Brooks: Charges Against Atlanta Officers Dropped
On Tues., Pete Skandalakis, the Georgia special prosecutor assigned to the Rayshard Brooks death case, announced that the two white police officers involved in his fatal shooting won't face charges.
Facts
- On Tues., Pete Skandalakis, the Georgia special prosecutor assigned to the Rayshard Brooks death case, announced that the two white police officers involved in his fatal shooting won't face charges.
- This comes more than two years after the 27-year-old black man was shot after fighting Atlanta Police Dept. (APD) officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan who attempted to arrest him for a DUI.
- Shortly after the incident, Rolfe was charged on 11 counts - including murder, aggravated assault, violations of oath, and criminal damage to property - while Brosnan faced charges of aggravated assault and violating his oath.
- The charges were dismissed after the probe found that their actions were "objectively reasonable," as Brooks posed a credible threat to them by stealing Brosnan's taser and firing at him. Both officers are still employed with the APD but have been on paid administration pending case closure.
- While recognizing that relations between police and the African-American community are sometimes "very volatile," Skandalakis pointed out that the facts showed that race didn't play a role in this incident.
- Following the decision, Atlanta's Mayor Andre Dickens highlighted that the City Council and the Police Dept have engaged with the community to review operational procedures and improve training on de-escalating confrontations.
Sources: Washington Examiner, CNN, New York Times, Fox5 Atlanta, Ajc, and 11alive.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by USA Today. At the time of Brooks's death, charges against officers involved in his homicide were supposed to reflect a policing overhaul across the US intended to limit the use of force. However, little has changed in practice and these two officers not facing charges and being still employed with the APD indicates it.
- Right narrative, as provided by Daily Caller
- Rolfe and Brosnan acted accordingly to the Georgia law without any criminal intent as proved by the facts. Rayshard Brooks violently resisted arrest, seizing one of their Tasers and firing at the officers multiple times while trying to escape until being deadly shot. The right thing to do was to clear them of all charges.
