A group of people, some of them allegedly armed, have reportedly taken over the Wendy’s parking lot in Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was shot, making it difficult for residents in the area to reach their homes.
Kimberlee Jones, president of the South Atlanta Civic League, whose residence is roughly a mile away from the Wendy’s, told 11 Alive, “My husband literally just missed getting caught in the crossfire when he was on his way home, And people have been shot and have been hurt.”
Jones stated that her mother attempted to return home and was impeded by a roadblock erected on University Avenue. The protesters, she told 11 Alive, would not let her through and made her feel “intimidated.”
Jones bluntly said the people occupying the area where the Wendy’s had stood were not protesters, asserting, “It’s not a protest at this point. I use the term ‘flea market’ because some people are camped out, some are selling things, others are taking selfies and not actually protesting.”
Jones said she alerted Atlanta police, saying they warned her to stay away from the area.
“He (the police officer) asked people to stay away because, I’ll use his term, the crowd has been hostile to a certain extent,” said Jones. “He said that they are aware of what’s going on, but they don’t want to add fuel to the fire; to escalate things. So their advice is to stay out of that area … It’s physically draining, trying to figure out ways to get home, and it’s emotionally draining dealing with the upheaval and the noise and the explosions. It’s an emotional drain.
Another woman, Jennifer Edwards, said, “They were all brandishing the guns to me from their waistbands. that they were going to shoot me in the back of the head if I did get away … The guy took his gun out of his waistband and started to point it at me. I didn’t care, I just went around him. If I hit him, if I bumped him, sorry. I have to get away with my life.”
Edwards showed 11 Alive images of a large rock on the floor of her car and said someone had hurled it through her windshield.
“Atlanta Police responded to three 911 calls there over the weekend,” the outlet reports, noting that two people were shot and Atlanta Police stated they were aware of the situation.
On Saturday Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant stated, “I want it to be clear, we will not tolerate lawlessness and injustice in this city … We are the largest police department in the state and have the resources to ensure safety to our citizens. If you call 911 a police officer will respond.”
After the homicide charges against the officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks after he resisted arrest and fired a taser in the officer’s direction, Atlanta Police are reportedly seeing more officers calling out than normal.
“Federal law enforcement officials arrested Natalie White, believed to have been the former girlfriend of Rayshard Brooks, for allegedly burning down the Wendy’s restaurant where Brooks died earlier this month,” The Daily Wire reported on Tuesday.
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