Rayshard Brooks

People

Rayshard Brooks

Outcome

unknown

On the evening of June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black father of four, was shot and killed by Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe in a Wendy's parking lot in South Atlanta. Brooks had been celebrating his daughter's birthday at an arcade earlier that day. Officers were called to investigate reports of a man asleep in a car blocking the drive-through lane. Body camera footage showed officers having a calm, cooperative conversation with Brooks for nearly 40 minutes as they conducted field sobriety tests. When a breathalyzer showed Brooks was over the legal limit, Officer Rolfe told him he was under arrest. A struggle ensued as officers tried to handcuff Brooks. During the scuffle, Brooks grabbed Officer Brosnan's taser and fled through the parking lot. Video footage captured Brooks turning and pointing the taser at Rolfe as he ran. Rolfe fired his gun three times, striking Brooks twice in the back. An autopsy confirmed Brooks died from two gunshot wounds to the back. The shooting occurred less than three weeks after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and reignited protests across Atlanta. The Wendy's restaurant was burned down the following night. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned the day after the shooting. District Attorney Paul Howard initially charged Rolfe with felony murder and ten other charges, including five counts of aggravated assault. However, in May 2021, the Civil Service Board reinstated Rolfe with back pay, finding the city had not afforded him due process. In August 2022, special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis announced all charges against Rolfe and Brosnan would be dropped, stating the officers "committed no crimes" and their use of force was justified. The city of Atlanta later paid $1 million to Brooks's family to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.