The company that fired the stepmother of former Atlanta Police Department officer Garrett Rolfe, who was involved in the fatal Rayshard Brooks arrest, has released a second statement about the decision to terminate her.
The news went viral on Thursday after Fox News host Tucker Carlson ran a segment on the officer&#8217;s stepmother, saying, “Until today, his stepmother, her name is Melissa Rolfe, was the HR director at a place called Equity Prime Mortgage in Atlanta, Georgia.”
“But today, she was let go. She’s no longer in that role. Apparently she was fired, and her only crime was being officer Rolfe’s stepmother,” Carlson continued. “According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to this program, Rolfe was promised that her job was safe, but today she was told, ‘We have to terminate our relationship with you.&#8217; No other explanation was offered and honestly no other explanation was needed. It was obvious what happened.”
Later during his show, Tucker stated that the company had reached out during a commercial break and provided a statement saying that Melissa Rolfe had been fired over social media posts, to which Carlson responded on air: “The bottom line is, it seems pretty clear they fired this woman because of who her step son was. And just to restate the obvious, that shouldn’t happen in this country because it’s wrong and people should say it’s wrong, or it will continue to keep happening.”
Equity Prime Mortgage later posted a second statement on their Twitter account:
<blockquote>As an employer, it is imperative to maintain a safe environment for all employees. Melissa Rolfe&#8217;s termination was a direct result of her actions in the workplace and violation of company policy. While working with Melissa as she transitioned to a leave of absence granted by our organization, we discovered she violated company policy and created an uncomfortable working environment for many of our employees. As an HR director, she ultimately lost the confidence of her peers, leadership, and many employees who no longer felt comfortable engaging with her. We value diversity of thought and respect Melissa&#8217;s personal views and the views of all employees; however, when those create a hostile working environment, we must make difficult decisions to part ways.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/vnQsDZxGoD">pic.twitter.com/vnQsDZxGoD</a>
&mdash; Equity Prime Mortgage LLC (@Equity_Prime) <a href="https://twitter.com/Equity_Prime/status/1273817345979559936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The second statement from the company comes after they posted a statement prior to Carlson&#8217;s segment that appeared to allude to their termination of Melissa Rolfe, but did not use her name. The company&#8217;s original <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-stepmother-of-police-officer-charged-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting-fired-from-her-job-company-releases-statement">statement</a> said:
<blockquote>Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion are deeply entrenched in the principles that help guide the actions of our organization. Our 23 fundamental principles comprise The EPM Way and the first one is, “Do the right thing, always.”
Our unwavering commitment to always doing the right thing has led us to sever ties with an employee who has expressed views that do not align with our culture. We do not tolerate racism, discrimination or injustices of any kind. EPM was co-founded by people of color intent on building a better future the best way they knew how, by bringing diverse cultures into the conversation. We view business through an empathetic lens. We care about the communities we serve and the people we employ.
We have intentionally built a team that is reflective of the U.S. population. Not only do we make a concerted effort to ensure Black people are in positions of authority, but we have recently increased overall diversity within our management from 68% to 80%, and we are nowhere near finished.
We are dedicated to building wealth in communities of color that have historically suffered from systemic racism. We recognize the roadblocks these communities face and have and will continue to honor our commitment to removing them. Our efforts have significantly increased loans to Hispanics, Asians, Blacks, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Veterans to enrich their communities.
We owe our successes to our employees who listen generously, speak courageously, and choose positivity. Representation matters, and so do Black Lives. Known to many as Equity Prime Mortgage externally, we thrive by the principle of Empowering People More. We will continue to be a resource and voice to financially empower those we serve and strive to guarantee diversity every step of the way.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Garrett Rolfe

Company That Terminated Stepmother Of Atlanta Police Officer Releases New Statement On Her Termination

Atlanta

Law Enforcement

Race

Rayshard Brooks

Fox News host Tucker Carlson reported on Thursday evening that the stepmother of Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, the officer who allegedly shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, has been fired from her job at a mortgage company in the area.
&#8220;Until today, his stepmother, her name is Melissa Rolfe, was the HR director at a place called Equity Prime Mortgage in Atlanta, Georgia,&#8221; Carlson said. &#8220;But today, she was let go. She&#8217;s no longer in that role, apparently she was fired and her only crime was being officer Rolfe&#8217;s stepmother.&#8221;
&#8220;According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to this program, Rolfe was promised that her job was safe, but today she was told, &#8216;We have to terminate our relationship with you,'&#8221; Carlson continued. &#8220;No other explanation was offered and honestly no other explanation was needed. It was obvious what happened.&#8221;
&#8220;Rolfe has already been scrubbed from the company&#8217;s website, wiped away as the Bolshevik&#8217;s did with those who lost favor with Joseph Stalin,&#8221; Carlson added. &#8220;That will keep happening until lawmakers decided to resist the mob and protect ordinary people from its predations. This is where the country is going, it&#8217;s becoming a place where you can be punished for the supposed misdeeds of your relatives. You don&#8217;t want to be that country. All of us should put on the breaks immediately.&#8221;
Later in the program, Carlson said that the company reached out and claimed that Rolfe was fired for social media posts, but did not elaborate on what the posts were or what they said.
Carlson concluded, &#8220;The bottom line is, it seems pretty clear they fired this woman because of who her step son was, and just to restate the obvious, that shouldn&#8217;t happen in this country because it&#8217;s wrong and people should say it&#8217;s wrong, or it will continue to keep happening.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tucker Carlson reports that <a href="https://twitter.com/Equity_Prime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Equity_Prime</a> Mortgage in Atlanta has fired the step mother of police officer Garrett Rolfe, who was charged in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks. <a href="https://t.co/RtJhNyyd2F">pic.twitter.com/RtJhNyyd2F</a>
&mdash; (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1273808006614970368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The company released a statement on their Twitter account that did not mention Rolfe&#8217;s stepmother&#8217;s name but appeared to allude to her termination and stressed that the company was committed to diversity. The statement said:
<blockquote>Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion are deeply entrenched in the principles that help guide the actions of our organization. Our 23 fundamental principles comprise The EPM Way and the first one is, &#8220;Do the right thing, always.&#8221;
Our unwavering commitment to always doing the right thing has led us to sever ties with an employee who has expressed views that do not align with our culture. We do not tolerate racism, discrimination or injustices of any kind. EPM was co-founded by people of color intent on building a better future the best way they knew how, by bringing diverse cultures into the conversation. We view business through an empathetic lens. We care about the communities we serve and the people we employ.
We have intentionally built a team that is reflective of the U.S. population. Not only do we make a concerted effort to ensure Black people are in positions of authority, but we have recently increased overall diversity within our management from 68% to 80%, and we are nowhere near finished.
We are dedicated to building wealth in communities of color that have historically suffered from systemic racism. We recognize the roadblocks these communities face and have and will continue to honor our commitment to removing them. Our efforts have significantly increased loans to Hispanics, Asians, Blacks, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Veterans to enrich their communities.
We owe our successes to our employees who listen generously, speak courageously, and choose positivity. Representation matters, and so do Black Lives. Known to many as Equity Prime Mortgage externally, we thrive by the principle of Empowering People More. We will continue to be a resource and voice to financially empower those we serve and strive to guarantee diversity every step of the way.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EPM is dedicated to being an organization that strives for diversity and equality. We are guided by the 23 fundamentals of the EPM Way to be an advocate for financial empowerment in the communities we serve. <a href="https://t.co/ag7wkZLl13">pic.twitter.com/ag7wkZLl13</a>
&mdash; Equity Prime Mortgage LLC (@Equity_Prime) <a href="https://twitter.com/Equity_Prime/status/1273742049615818752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-that-terminated-stepmother-of-atlanta-police-officer-releases-new-statement-on-her-termination">Company That Terminated Stepmother Of Atlanta Police Officer Releases New Statement On Her Termination</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Tucker Carlson: Stepmother Of Police Officer Charged In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Fired From Her Job. Company Releases Statement.

Georgia

Police

During a sit-down conversation with Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, Christian rapper Lecrae, and Pastor Louie Giglio posted on Monday, Cathy urged white people to repent of their racism and justified rioters looting and burning down a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, following the death of Rayshard Brooks on Friday.
&#8220;We as caucasians, until we’re willing to just pick up the baton and fight for our black, African-American brothers and sisters, which they are as one human race, we’re shameful,&#8221; Cathy said, according to <a href="https://www.bucksexton.com/content/2020-06-18-chick-fil-a-ceo-white-christians-should-repent-of-racism/">BuckSexton.com</a>. &#8220;We’re just adding to it.&#8221;
&#8220;Our silence is so huge at this time,&#8221; he said, channeling the far-left refrain that &#8220;silence is violence.&#8221; &#8220;We cannot be silent. Somebody has to fight and God has so blessed our city, but it’s shameful how we let things get so out of whack.&#8221;
Then, before literally polishing the shoes of Lecrae, who is black, Cathy added that white Christians should have a &#8220;sense of shame&#8221; and an &#8220;apologetic heart.&#8221;
&#8220;Any expressions of a contrite heart, of a sense of humility, a sense of shame, a sense of embarrassment &#8230; an apologetic heart,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I think that&#8217;s what our world needs to hear today.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Chick-Fil-A CEO: 
White People Should Shine Blacks’ Shoes to Show ‘Sense of Shame,’ ‘Embarrassment’ for Racism <a href="https://t.co/A2Utbc0a2t">pic.twitter.com/A2Utbc0a2t</a>
&mdash; Gabe Hoffman (@GabeHoff) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabeHoff/status/1273713403274702855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the same sit-down, the chicken chain CEO seemed to justify the burning down of a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant in Atlanta on Friday, citing black people&#8217;s &#8220;incredible amounts of frustration and pain&#8221; that &#8220;white people&#8221; are &#8220;simply just out-of-sight, out-of-mind oblivious to.&#8221;
&#8220;I think, before we try to jump into action, I would say that we need a period of contrition and a broken heart in the city of Atlanta,&#8221; said Cathy. &#8220;And a sense of real identity, not just criticizing people that are burning down that restaurant last night. We&#8217;ve got a heart for the Rayshard Brooks and others that you&#8217;ve (Lecrae) mentioned, we&#8217;ve gotta have a sense of empathy of what led to this. This is a tip of the iceberg of incredible amounts of frustration and pain that the whole spectrum of the African American community [is feeling] &#8230; that most of us white people are simply just out-of-sight, out-of-mind oblivious to. We cannot let this moment pass.&#8221;
Later in the sit-down, the CEO said that &#8220;a dozen Chick-fil-A restaurants have been vandalized in the last week,&#8221; while urging &#8220;white people&#8221; to feel the &#8220;pain&#8221; of the rioters.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced a stop to their donations to Christian-based charities deemed “anti-LGBT” by the Left, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-chick-fil-a-to-stop-donating-to-christian-charities-branded-anti-lgbt">The Daily Wire</a> reported:
<blockquote>In an interview with <a href="https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/retail/exclusive-amid-global-expansion-and-lgbt-pushback-chick-fil-a-changes-charitable-giving-structure-101818">Bisnow</a>, Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos announced that the famous fried chicken chain plans to make significant changes in which charities it donates to, in part because “as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are.” Amid continued boycotts of the highly popular and successful chain over its donations to supposed “anti-LGBT” groups and causes, Tassopoulos revealed that the company’s foundation will no longer donate to some high-profile Christian organizations.</blockquote>
In the aftermath of the announcement, LGBT group GLAAD <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/glaads-response-to-chick-fil-a-cave-is-exactly-what-youd-expect">ripped</a> the company for allegedly still being anti-LGBT.
WATCH:
<iframe title="The Beloved Community - Dan Cathy, Lecrae, Louie Giglio" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xEuI-03Jcc4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
H/t <a href="https://www.bucksexton.com/content/2020-06-18-chick-fil-a-ceo-white-christians-should-repent-of-racism/">BuckSexton.com</a> 
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Dan Cathy

WATCH: Chick-Fil-A CEO Appears To Justify Rioters Burning Down Wendy’s, Urges White People To Repent Of Racism

Chick-fil-A

While performing CPR, former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe begged for Rayshard Brooks to &#8220;keep breathing,&#8221; body camera footage reveals.
&#8220;Mr. Brooks, keep breathing,&#8221; Rolfe, 27, can be heard saying in the footage. &#8220;Keep breathing for me.&#8221;
&#8220;The jerky body-cam footage captures him kneeling on the ground and administering CPR to the bleeding man while Brosnan looks on,&#8221; reports the Daily Mail, which published the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8429013/Fired-officer-shot-Rayshard-Brooks-dead-begged-father-four-stay-alive-gave-CPR.html">footage</a>. &#8220;Rolfe administered CPR until the ambulance arrived and can be heard repeatedly calling Mr. Brooks&#8217; name as he tried to keep him alive.&#8221;
On Friday, a Wendy’s employee called the police after Brooks, under the influence of alcohol, passed out behind the wheel, blocking drive-through traffic.
“The officers ran Brooks through a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer that pegged Brooks’ blood alcohol concentration at .108%, according to body cam footage released by the Atlanta police department. The legal limit to drive is .08%,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">The Daily Wire</a> reported on the incident. “After cooperating for nearly half an hour, Brooks <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">fought</a> with the officers as they tried to place him in handcuffs. All three struggled and fell to the ground where Brooks managed to take Brosnan’s taser and escape the officers. Rolfe shot after Brooks fired the stolen taser at him.”
Rolfe was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">charged</a> Wednesday with felony murder.
A close friend of Rolfe&#8217;s said the former officer did not want to shoot Brooks but felt no other choice to preserve his own life.
&#8220;Garrett didn&#8217;t want to do it,&#8221; said the friend, according to the Daily Mail. &#8220;He had been punched and was dazed. Brooks had gone to tase him and he said that he knew that if he went down Brooks might kill him.&#8221;
&#8220;[Rolfe] told me he fired a shot up above [Brooks&#8217;] head but he didn&#8217;t stop and so he fired twice more,&#8221; the source added, &#8220;He didn&#8217;t want to do it. There&#8217;s no hate in Garrett&#8217;s body. He doesn&#8217;t hate black. He doesn&#8217;t hate white. In that moment he was in fear for his life.&#8221;
Following the announcement of the highly controversial felony murder charge, Rolfe’s attorney said in a <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/da-paul-howard-expected-make-announcement-possible-charges-rayshard-brooks-shooting/EZ5T5RIXTRHO3O5LYBX6W3VN5U/">statement</a>: “Officer Rolfe is well known to the courts and there is no compelling reason to bring any charges against them before the GBI has completed its investigation and published its findings.&#8221;
In a separate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attorney-for-officer-devin-brosnan-debunks-claims-client-is-state-witness-unloads-on-d-a-paul-howard">statement</a>, the attorney for Devin Brosnan, Rolfe’s partner, ripped Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard for the “rush to misjudgment.”
“The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice,” the attorney said in a blistering rebuke of the DA. “This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting-responds-through-legal-team">READ IT: Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Responds Through Legal Team</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Body-Cam Footage: Officer Who Shot Brooks Begs Him To Stay Alive: ‘Mr. Brooks Keep Breathing. Keep Breathing For Me’

In a social media post on Wednesday, conservative commentator Candace Owens again hammered the issue of media coverage and public portrayal of high-profile police-involved deaths. George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, both of whom died during an encounter with police, Owens highlighted, were arrested for illegal activity and after amassing long criminal records. The downplaying of their records and actions prompting their arrests, Owens stated, is effectively &#8220;sanctifying criminals.&#8221;
&#8220;George Floyd: high on fentanyl and trying to use a counterfeit bill after 9 prison stints,&#8221; Owens tweeted Wednesday to her 2.4 million followers.  &#8220;Rayshard Brooks: drunk-driving while on probation for beating his wife [and] kids.&#8221;
&#8220;Why don’t you COWARDS stop pretending these people were changing their lives?&#8221; Owens added. &#8220;STOP SANCTIFYING CRIMINALS.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
George Floyd: high on fentanyl and trying to use a counterfeit bill after 9 prison stints.
Rayshard Brooks: drunk-driving while on probation for beating his wife &amp; kids.
Why don’t you COWARDS stop pretending these people were changing their lives? 
STOP SANCTIFYING CRIMINALS.
&mdash; Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO/status/1273364982189756423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Owens&#8217; tweet follows her recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/candace-owens-i-do-not-support-george-floyd-and-the-media-depiction-of-him-as-a-martyr-for-black-america">viral Facebook video</a> in which she highlighted Floyd&#8217;s criminal record, particularly a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/29/george-floyd-who-was-he-his-friends-words">2007 armed robbery</a> of a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8366533/George-Floyd-moved-Minneapolis-start-new-life-released-prison-Texas.html">woman’s home</a> in Houston, for which Floyd was convicted in 2009 and served five years in prison. Owens states in the video that while the media has widely described Floyd as having “<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/victim-police-encounter-had-started-new-life-minnesota/rMmT2wipeQFNnsypmh6oBL/">started a new life</a>” since being released from prison, his actions and condition when he was arrested suggest otherwise, as he attempted to use a counterfeit bill and had drugs in his system, as revealed by autopsies.
Brooks was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">fatally shot</a> by an Atlanta police officer after he resisted arrest, seized a taser from one of the responding officers, and fired that taser in the direction of the pursuing officer. Body-cam footage shows that the officers attempted to arrest Brooks after a breathalyzer pegged his blood alcohol level at far above the legal limit.
According to Clayton County, Georgia, <a href="https://www.claytoncountyga.gov/government/courts/court-case-inquiry">court records</a>, Brooks was charged with a number of crimes between 2011 and 2016 and convicted in 2014 on <a href="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=121426&amp;action=edit">multiple counts</a>, including false imprisonment, simple battery/family, and felony cruelty/cruelty to children. In 2016, he was charged with financial transaction card theft.
In her viral <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/candace-owens-i-do-not-support-george-floyd-and-the-media-depiction-of-him-as-a-martyr-for-black-america">video on Floyd</a>, Owens strongly condemns former Officer Derek Chauvin’s actions, which included kneeling on Floyd&#8217;s neck for nearly nine minutes, and states that Floyd&#8217;s family “deserves justice for the way that he died.” However, the commentator pushes back on the portrayals of Floyd as a &#8220;martyr&#8221; for the black community, stating she is &#8220;not going to accept the narrative that this is the best the black community has to offer.&#8221;
“For whatever reason it has become fashionable over the last five or six years for us to turn criminals into heroes overnight, and it is something that I find to be despicable and there’s something that I refuse to stand by any longer and I am not going to play a part in it — no matter how much pressure comes from black liberals and black conservatives as some token of people wanting you to believe that this is the only way you can be black,” Owens says.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rayshard-brooks-discusses-the-struggles-of-life-on-probation-in-february-interview">WATCH: Rayshard Brooks Discusses The Struggles Of Life On Probation In February Interview</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Candace Owens

Candace Owens Slams Coverage Of Floyd, Brooks: ‘Stop Sanctifying Criminals’

George Floyd

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, involved in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy&#8217;s parking lot last week, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">charged</a> with felony murder on Wednesday. On Thursday, Rolfe&#8217;s legal team released a statement defending his &#8220;justified&#8221; actions.
&#8220;Rolfe is facing 11 counts, including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">The Daily Wire</a> reported Wednesday evening, adding that Devin Brosnan, Rolfe&#8217;s partner, has been placed on administrative leave and is facing three charges.
The incident on Friday started when a Wendy&#8217;s employee called the police after Brooks, under the influence of alcohol, passed out behind the wheel, blocking drive-through traffic.
&#8220;The officers ran Brooks through a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer that pegged Brooks’ blood alcohol concentration at .108%, according to body cam footage released by the Atlanta police department. The legal limit to drive is .08%,&#8221; The Daily Wire noted. &#8220;After cooperating for nearly half an hour, Brooks <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">fought</a> with the officers as they tried to place him in handcuffs. All three struggled and fell to the ground where Brooks managed to take Brosnan’s taser and escape the officers. Rolfe shot after Brooks fired the stolen taser at him.&#8221;
&#8220;Officer Rolfe is well known to the courts and there is no compelling reason to bring any charges against them before the GBI has completed its investigation and published its findings,&#8221; Rolfe&#8217;s attorney said in a <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/da-paul-howard-expected-make-announcement-possible-charges-rayshard-brooks-shooting/EZ5T5RIXTRHO3O5LYBX6W3VN5U/">statement</a> following the felony murder charge.
In a separate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attorney-for-officer-devin-brosnan-debunks-claims-client-is-state-witness-unloads-on-d-a-paul-howard">statement</a>, Brosnan&#8217;s attorney ripped Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard for the &#8220;rush to misjudgment.&#8221;
“The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice,” the attorney said in a blistering rebuke of the DA. “This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.”
Ahead of the announced charges from DA Howard, the LoRusso Law Firm, which is representing Rolfe, released a lengthy statement dissecting the Friday incident and their client&#8217;s &#8220;justified&#8221; actions.
&#8220;On June 12, 2020, a Wendy’s employee called 911 to report a man was passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle and blocking traffic in the drive-through,&#8221; the statement begins, as reported by <a href="https://www.cbs46.com/news/lawyers-for-former-apd-officer-involved-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting-release-statement/article_c3a6ae8e-b0c5-11ea-bb7b-5f2794513af0.html">CBS46</a>. &#8220;Officer Brosnan responded, and made contact with the driver, Rayshard Brooks. After determining alcohol may have been a contributing factor, he requested Officer Rolfe’s assistance.&#8221;
&#8220;Officer Rolfe, a member of the High Intensity Traffic Team and the Governor funded HEAT Unit, has specialized training in DUI investigations,&#8221; the statement continues. &#8220;He has made at least 300 DUI arrests, and completed the 160-hour Drug Recognition Expert course, graduating as valedictorian. After a thorough investigation, Officer Rolfe determined Mr. Brooks was impaired and driving a vehicle in violation of Georgia law. Officer Rolfe was polite and courteous to Mr. Brooks during the entire encounter. Mr. Brooks was polite and cooperative until Officer Rolfe placed him under arrest.&#8221;
Then, according to Rolfe&#8217;s attorneys, Brooks became hostile &#8220;without warning or provocation,&#8221; physically assaulting the officers until Rolfe &#8220;lawfully deployed his TASER twice, but it had no effect on Mr. Brooks&#8221;:
<blockquote>Suddenly, without warning or provocation, Mr. Brooks chose to violently attack two uniformed police officers. Officers Brosnan and Rolfe used the least amount of force possible in their attempts to place Mr. Brooks into handcuffs. They attempted to leverage him to the ground while giving him loud, clear verbal commands. In response, Mr. Brooks continued actively resisting lawful efforts to arrest him. He then escalated his resistance by punching Officer Rolfe in the face committing several counts of felony obstruction of an officer. See O.C.G.A. §16-10-24. In an effort to place Mr. Brooks under arrest and stop his assault, Officer Rolfe lawfully deployed his TASER twice, but it had no effect on Mr. Brooks.</blockquote>
&#8220;Mr. Brooks continued his assault and disarmed Officer Brosnan, stealing his city-issued TASER committing a robbery, another forcible felony under Georgia law,&#8221; the law firm notes. &#8220;See O.C.G.A. §16-8-40 &amp; O.C.G.A. §16-10-33 . Mr. Brooks, then armed, began running through a crowded parking lot. Mr. Brooks was lawfully under arrest and Officer Rolfe pursued him. Officer Rolfe had deployed his taser and held it steady in hopes the prongs would catch onto Mr. Brooks body and neutralize him. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur.&#8221;
&#8220;Instead of merely trying to escape, Mr. Brooks reached back with his arm extended and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;Officer Rolfe heard a sound like a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him. Fearing for his safety, and the safety of the civilians around him, Officer Rolfe dropped his taser and fired his service weapon at the only portion of Mr. Brooks that presented to him &#8211; Mr. Brooks’ back. Officer Rolfe immediately stopped firing when Mr. Brooks fell to the ground since there was no longer an imminent threat towards Officer Rolfe or others.&#8221;
&#8220;Officer Rolfe gathered himself, and then immediately called for EMS,&#8221; the legal representation continues. &#8220;Officer Rolfe retrieved first-aid supplies and began rendering aid to Mr. Brooks. When Mr. Brooks’ pulse stopped, Officer Rolfe immediately began CPR until EMS relieved him.&#8221;
&#8220;The loss of life in any instance is tragic,&#8221; Rolfe&#8217;s lawyers emphasize. &#8220;However, Officer Rolfe’s actions were justified under O.C.G.A. §17-4-20 and O.C.G.A. §16-3-21.&#8221;
&#8220;A peace officer may use deadly force to 1. arrest a suspected felon when he reasonably believes that the suspect poses an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer or others, 2. to protect himself and others from a life-threatening injury, and 3. to prevent the commission of a forcible felony. Mr. Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them. When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable, or seriously injure him.&#8221;
The statement concludes: &#8220;Officer Rolfe is well known to the courts and there is no compelling reason to bring any charges against them before the GBI has completed its investigation and published its findings.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

READ IT: Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Responds Through Legal Team

In an interview filmed in February, a few months before his fatal attempt to resist arrest, Rayshard Brooks discussed his personal and financial struggles resulting from having been incarcerated for multiple charges, including false imprisonment and credit card fraud.
Brooks was fatally shot by a police officer in the parking lot of a Wendy&#8217;s on June 12 after being found asleep behind the wheel of his car while in the restaurant&#8217;s drive-thru. After testing positive for driving under the influence, Brooks resisted arrest, grappling with police on the ground, seizing a taser from one of the officers, and firing the taser in the direction of a pursuing officer. Upon firing the taser, Brooks was fatally shot in the back twice by the pursuing officer.
In the interview, filmed in February for a project by the group Reconnect (video below), Brooks described the difficulties of being on probation, a situation which provides a likely explanation for why Brooks chose to resist arrest.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve always been the type of person to that if you do some things that&#8217;s wrong, you pay your debts to society,&#8221; Brooks said.
&#8220;I just feel like some of the system could, you know, look at us as individuals,&#8221; he suggested. &#8220;We do have lives, you know, just a mistake we made, and you know, not just do us as if we are animals.&#8221;
During the interview, Brooks cited two of the charges that landed him in prison. &#8220;When I did get arrested it was for false imprisonment and financial credit card fraud,&#8221; Brooks explained.
Clayton County, Georgia, <a href="https://www.claytoncountyga.gov/government/courts/court-case-inquiry">court records</a> show that Brooks was charged with a number of crimes between 2011 and 2016 and convicted in 2014 on <a href="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=121426&amp;action=edit">multiple counts</a>, including false imprisonment, simple battery/family, and felony cruelty/cruelty to children. For false imprisonment, Brooks was sentenced to one year in prison and six years probation. For the three other counts, he received a year probation each. Brooks was charged with financial transaction card theft in 2016, which resulted in another year-long prison sentence.
After serving his time, Brooks said in the interview, he found it extremely difficult to move on and move up.
&#8220;For one individual trying to deal with all of these things at one point in time, it&#8217;s just impossible,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You have court costs, probation &#8230;  you just would have to have a lot of money.&#8221;
&#8220;You go to fill out our application and you get to this question: have you ever been convicted of a crime, or have you ever been arrested?&#8221; he said in reference to applying for a job. &#8220;You know, you&#8217;re sitting there like, &#8216;Oh my God. I hope this doesn&#8217;t hinder me from getting this job.&#8217; And then you finish up the application and you have some employers that come back to you: &#8216;Well, Mr. Brooks, unfortunately, we can&#8217;t hire you due to the fact that you&#8217;ve been incarcerated or you&#8217;ve been arrested for this and that.&#8217; And that&#8230; just breaks your heart.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s hurting us, but it&#8217;s hurting our families the most,&#8221; he said of the obstacles imposed by the probation system. &#8220;You know, so as we go through these trials and tribulations, it&#8217;s hurting our kids, and it&#8217;s taking away from our families, you know. The sole provider is a male or female figure, you know, speaking for both, and it&#8217;s taking away from us.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I just feel like some of the system could look at us as individuals&#8230; and not just do us as if we are animals,” Rayshard Brooks, who was killed by an ex-police officer, gave an interview in February to a company about the struggles after incarceration.<a href="https://t.co/xZ2dfLC2Ql">https://t.co/xZ2dfLC2Ql</a> <a href="https://t.co/UFhwa2zN1b">pic.twitter.com/UFhwa2zN1b</a>
&mdash; New Day (@NewDay) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1273577143637770240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In an op-ed published Wednesday, CNN&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/opinions/rayshard-brooks-probation-interview-jones/index.html">Van Jones</a> argues that Brooks&#8217; fatal encounter with police is as much about &#8220;America&#8217;s desperate need to overhaul our probation system&#8221; as it is about police response.
&#8220;For a person on probation, as Brooks was, <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/09/probation-and-parole-systems-marked-by-high-stakes-missed-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">any contact with a police officer — for any reason —</a> means an almost certain return to the horrors of a jail cell,&#8221; writes Jones. &#8220;It is safe to assume that Brooks did not want to go back to jail over sleeping in his car or failing a sobriety test, lose everything he had and be forced to start his life over again. In other words, we do not know why the Atlanta police officer chose to shoot a man who was running away from him. But we can guess why that man chose to run, in the first place.&#8221;
While Jones suggests that the officer had no rationale for firing on Brooks, some law enforcement officials and experts argue otherwise. In an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, Georgia Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, who is African-American, argued that the pursuit and shooting of Brooks was &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-black-georgia-sheriff-tells-cnn-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks-was-completely-justified">completely justified</a>.&#8221;
&#8220;Obviously, we saw in the video that the — Brooks was engaged in a fight with the officers,&#8221; said Williams. &#8220;They were on the ground. We know that when we’re on the ground, we have a very high likelihood of being hurt or killed. It’s not the place we want to be. This is not a wrestling match. Brooks is able to take a nonlethal weapon, a taser, away from one of the officers, and he flees, they give chase. He’s committed two felony obstruction of an officer counts, and he needs to be held accountable. So they were perfectly justified in running behind Brooks to capture him.”
The threat posed by the taser, Williams said, justified the shooting of Brooks because of its ability to incapacitate an officer, thus making him vulnerable to attack and could allow the suspect to take his firearm. &#8220;[I]f that officer had been hit, he still has a firearm on his side,&#8221; said Williams. &#8220;And the likelihood of him being stomped in the head or having his firearm taken and used against him was a probability. And so he did what he needed to do, and this was a completely justified shooting.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

WATCH: Rayshard Brooks Discusses The Struggles Of Life On Probation In February Interview

Van Jones

Police officers in the Atlanta Police Department are reportedly not responding to calls in multiple zones which comes after the department acknowledged that they were experiencing a higher than usual number of police officers calling out prior to the start of their shifts.
The news comes after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced felony murder charges against officer Garrett Rolfe on Wednesday for his involvement in the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was driving drunk, resisted arrest, got into a physical altercation with police, took a taser from a police officer, tried to run, and fired a taser in Rolfe&#8217;s direction. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-bureau-of-investigation-responds-to-d-a-s-charges-we-werent-consulted-investigation-not-over">said</a> that its investigation into the incident was not complete when the charges were announced and that it was not consulted by Howard.
&#8220;Atlanta police officers are not responding to calls in three of the department&#8217;s six zones,&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/us/rayshard-brooks-atlanta-police-not-answering-calls/index.html">reported</a>, citing multiple sources within the Atlanta Police Department. &#8220;Atlanta police officers each patrol one of six zones covering some 500,000 residents who live in the city limits. They also cover Atlanta&#8217;s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.&#8221;
Brendan Keefe, Chief Investigator at Atlanta&#8217;s WXIA 11Alive, wrote on Twitter: &#8220;I&#8217;ve been listening to Zone 6 Atlanta Police radio traffic for the last hour. There are 15 &#8211; 20 minute periods of absolute silence amid reports of officer walkouts. This clip was shared with [Cheryl Preheim] by a police source. It&#8217;s from Zone 3. The code 69 is Person With a Gun.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;ve been listening to Zone 6 Atlanta Police radio traffic for the last hour. There are 15 &#8211; 20 minute periods of absolute silence amid reports of officer walkouts. This clip was shared with <a href="https://twitter.com/CherylPreheim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CherylPreheim</a> by a police source. It&#39;s from Zone 3. The code 69 is Person With a Gun. <a href="https://t.co/hkmbC5VF0Q">pic.twitter.com/hkmbC5VF0Q</a>
&mdash; Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendanKeefe/status/1273439297471946752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Atlanta Police Department released a statement on Wednesday to address widespread rumors that were circulating on social media that numerous officers were walking off the job.
APD tweeted: “Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations [and] remain able to respond to incidents.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations &amp; remain able to respond to incidents.
&mdash; Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atlanta_Police/status/1273415926872969216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Atlanta Democrat Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-atlanta-police-seeing-higher-than-usual-number-of-call-outs-comes-after-d-a-charged-police-officer-with-murder-of-rayshard-brooks">responded</a> to the situation during a CNN interview on Wednesday evening, saying that it &#8220;has been a very tough few weeks in Atlanta.&#8221;
“Across the country, morale is down with police departments, and I think ours is down ten-fold,&#8221; Bottoms said. “And so what I would say is, in the same way our administration’s made that commitment to our officers, we expect our officers will keep their commitment to our communities.”
Bottoms, who is reportedly in the running to be a vice presidential candidate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, said that she did not know how many officers called out but assured residents that they had enough officers to keep the streets safe.
Bottoms said, “But it’s just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Civil Rights Leader Rev. Joseph E. Lowery Laid To Rest In Atlanta

Atlanta Police Officers Not Responding To Calls In Multiple Zones, Comes After D.A. Charged Officer With Murder In Rayshard Brooks Case

Reports surfaced on Wednesday night that many Atlanta police officers, furious that Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced that the police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks last week was charged with felony murder, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-atlanta-police-seeing-higher-than-usual-number-of-call-outs-comes-after-d-a-charged-police-officer-with-murder-of-rayshard-brooks">didn’t report for their shifts</a>. The rumors of police officers walking off the job is reminiscent of a scene roughly 39 years ago.
In December 1981, police officers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, went on a 16-hour strike after two police officers were shot and killed by a black teenager, and a Milwaukee alderman stated, &#8220;The person could have suspected that the police were simply going to kill him, and because of that, he might have acted out of fear rather than out of any kind of sensible surrender to the police.&#8221;
Following the comment, roughly 2,200 police officers walked out, according to <a href="https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/12/23/The-Milwaukee-police-union-went-on-strike-Wednesday-night/6777377931600/">UPI.</a>
“Police Association President Robert Kliesmet called the walkout and then said he would ask the officers to stay out until the Common Council considered a list of demands that would provide safer working conditions,” UPI reported, adding that Kliesmet said Alderman Roy Nabors&#8217; comments “were the straw that broke the camel&#8217;s back” in reference to incidents in which police had been accused of brutality and unnecessary force.
A spokesman for the police association stated, &#8220;The officers just don&#8217;t know where to go anymore. This is causing so much confusion to our men on the street, they don&#8217;t know what proper action to take any more.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/01/06/a-short-history-of-police-protest">The Marshall Project</a> notes:
<blockquote>Controversy over police conduct and reform had been simmering in Milwaukee for months. Three cop-involved deaths that year – of a black man in police custody, a businessman accosted during a traffic chase, and a nightclub dancer – had raised concern about police brutality and inflamed tensions between law enforcement and the public. The police union president called one Milwaukee district attorney a “persecutor” for investigating misconduct.</blockquote>
When the police announced they were striking, Milwaukee Mayor Henry Maier issued a declaration of emergency permitting him to impose a curfew if there were no law enforcement, as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/24/us/milwaukee-police-strike-after-2-officers-are-slain.html">The New York Times</a> noted.
Nabors made his remarks regarding the fatal shooting of Officers John Machjewski, 24, and Charles Mehlberg, 25, by Robert Lee Collins, 19. Collins, according to the police, had a lengthy record. Nabors said, &#8220;The person could have suspected that the police were simply going to kill him, and because of that, he might have acted out of fear rather than out of any kind of sensible surrender to the police. I think anytime that a police officer approaches a person in the black community there is that state of panic.&#8221;
About 200 deputies were sent from the Milwaukee Sheriff&#8217;s Office to aid in law enforcement.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-black-georgia-sheriff-tells-cnn-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks-was-completely-justified">WATCH: Black Georgia Sheriff Tells CNN: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks Was ‘Completely Justified’</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Milwaukee Cityscapes And City Views

FLASHBACK: Milwaukee Cops Went On 1981 Strike After Two Cops Were Killed And Cops Thought Local Official Justified It

Milwaukee

On Tuesday, a black Georgia sheriff told CNN anchor Brianna Keilar that Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe was &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/sheriff-alfonzo-williams-rayshard-brooks-shooting-justified">completely justified</a>&#8221; to use lethal force against Rayshard Brooks, who was shot and killed after resisting arrest and grabbing a taser from an officer at the scene.
Keilar started, “The family attorney in this case says that police should have tried to catch Brooks instead of shooting at him. What is your reaction to that?”
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams responded, “Having 30 years in the business, police and law enforcement, and 27 of those years having taught use of force and taught hundreds and hundreds of law enforcement officers across the state of Georgia and other states, I just think that he&#8217;s a lawyer, he&#8217;s not a law enforcement officer. I think that is — it&#8217;s just a ridiculous statement.”
He continued, &#8220;Obviously, we saw in the video that the — Brooks was engaged in a fight with the officers. They were on the ground. We know that when we&#8217;re on the ground, we have a very high likelihood of being hurt or killed. It&#8217;s not the place we want to be. This is not a wrestling match. Brooks is able to take a nonlethal weapon, a taser, away from one of the officers, and he flees, they give chase. He&#8217;s committed two felony obstruction of an officer counts, and he needs to be held accountable. So they were perfectly justified in running behind Brooks to capture him.”
Williams noted, “Brooks turned back to the officers, and fired the taser. And we all know — this is the third law enforcement agency I&#8217;ve been head of, and every agency I&#8217;ve gone to, I&#8217;ve required every officer who carries a taser, to be tased with it so that you understand the incapacitation.”
He explained, “Five seconds: one thousand-one, one thousand-two, one thousand-three, one thousand-four, one thousand-five. That&#8217;s five whole seconds that, if an officer is hit with that taser, that he — all of his muscles will be locked up and he&#8217;ll have the inability to move and to respond. And yet he is still responsible for every weapon on his belt. So if that officer had been hit, he still has a firearm on his side. And the likelihood of him being stomped in the head or having his firearm taken and used against him was a probability. And so he did what he needed to do, and this was a completely justified shooting.”
Keilar asked, “So you think lethal force here was necessary?”
&#8220;It&#8217;s very necessary,&#8221; Williams said. &#8220;The Fourth Amendment allows it. This is the objective reasonableness standard, and there&#8217;s nothing malicious or sadistic in the way these officers behaved.&#8221;
Then he took a shot at law enforcement leaders in Georgia: “And it&#8217;s very unfortunate that the law enforcement leaders in the state of Georgia have not come out and stood together on this case. I think it&#8217;s political and it&#8217;s senseless. We&#8217;re sending the wrong message to our black youth, we&#8217;re telling them that it&#8217;s OK, that they can run from the police, they can take a weapon from the police, they can fight with the police. And point a weapon at the police, and expect nothing to happen. That is the wrong message to send to black youth.”
Keilar then tried to turn the death of Brooks into a racial issue: “Can I ask — I want to ask you a question about the Rayshard Brooks case, early on, once he was on the ground. One of the things that struck me, observing — and you know, you&#8217;re in law enforcement, I&#8217;m not, but — was how quickly at close range one of the officers pulled a taser out. And it seemed like his arm was flailing, and then he sort of got tangled and grabbed the taser.  And I — one of the questions I had was, do you think that that officer would have pulled a taser so quickly on a suspect if they were white?”
Williams answered, “I think we have a serious issue in this country with officers, law enforcement officers using force against black persons or persons of color versus other persons. I&#8217;m not sure exactly why that exists. I think it&#8217;s based on your experiences, based on your ignorance, based on your — whether or not you&#8217;re learned, based on movies, television, media.  You know, there&#8217;s a little bit of blame to go around with all of us. That&#8217;s why I have proposed setting standards —”
Keilar interjected, “Sheriff. You&#8217;re — it sounds like you don&#8217;t know, like — it sounds like you are saying perhaps, there could be a possibility that maybe — that escalation to the use of the taser might not have happened then, if it were a white man?”
Williams immediately shut that down, saying, “I&#8217;m not saying that at all. I&#8217;m saying what happened in the Brooks case is completely justified, 100 percent. And an officer generally goes to work every day, he&#8217;s not concerned about whether a perpetrator is black or white. He&#8217;s there to do a job. He was called there by the employees of Wendy&#8217;s because the guy is passed out at the wheel. And he&#8217;s investigated for being under the influence of something, but he is less safe to drive. And they conduct field sobriety. And all officers know this, Brianna, that when one cuff goes on, a person is going to do one of three things. He&#8217;s going to fight, take flight, or he&#8217;s going to comply. In this case, he did fight and flight. And we — they&#8217;re taught in the academy that you arrest or you handcuff quickly, one to two seconds. If not, your life is in jeopardy. And that played out in this scenario.”
He concluded, “We don&#8217;t want to fight with anybody; we don&#8217;t want to be on the ground. The suspect had the ability to hurt the officer, he had the opportunity to hurt the officer because he took his taser. The officer&#8217;s life was certainly in jeopardy, and the suspect could have complied and none of this would have happened.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Burke County, Georgia, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams says the shooting of Rayshard Brooks was “completely justified.” “There&#39;s nothing malicious or sadistic in the way these officers behaved,” he says, adding that this case can&#39;t be compared to those of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. <a href="https://t.co/Px6hwdffZN">pic.twitter.com/Px6hwdffZN</a>
&mdash; CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNnewsroom/status/1272958183540219905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Close of gavel in courtroom

WATCH: Black Georgia Sheriff Tells CNN: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks Was ‘Completely Justified’

Don Samuel, attorney for Atlanta Police officer Devin Brosnan, debunked reports on Wednesday that his client had agreed to become a state witness and slammed Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard for his actions in the case.
&#8220;District Attorney Paul Howard said he is charging former Officer Garrett Rolfe with 11 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and violations to his oath of office,&#8221; WSB-TV <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/da-paul-howard-expected-make-announcement-possible-charges-rayshard-brooks-shooting/EZ5T5RIXTRHO3O5LYBX6W3VN5U/">reported</a>. &#8220;Officer Devin Brosnan is being charged with aggravated assault and two violations of oath of office.&#8221;
Amid reports that Brosnan was acting as a state&#8217;s witness, his attorney released a statement detailing his role in the Rayshard Brooks case and emphatically stating that he &#8220;has NOT agreed to be a &#8216;state&#8217;s witness&#8217;.&#8221; He also issued a scathing rebuke of Howard&#8217;s &#8220;rush to misjudgment.&#8221; Samuel&#8217;s statement reads in part:
<blockquote>To be clear &#8211; Devin is cooperating with the Fulton County District Attorney’s investigation. He met with the assistant district attorney and investigator yesterday and answered their questions. He turned over his phone. He is in the process of providing medical records and photographs of his injuries. He has NOT agreed to be a “state’s witness” or to testify in any court hearing or to plead guilty to any charge. The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice.
This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment. Shame on the District Attorney for this abuse of his charging power. Shame on the District Attorney for not honoring his oath to uphold the constitution. Shame on the District Attorney for this rush to misjudgment.</blockquote>
Samuel also said in the statement that Brooks &#8220;used&#8221; the taser that he took from Brosnan against the officer as he resisted arrest and later ran from the scene. Samuel notes that Brosnan sustained &#8220;burns from the taser.&#8221; Samuel states that when Brooks began to violently resist arrest, Brosnan&#8217;s head hit the asphalt parking lot, and he was later &#8220;diagnosed with a concussion.&#8221;
In an interview with CNN, Samuel said, &#8220;Officer Brosnan has not agreed to testify. He has not agreed to plead guilty. He honestly told the DA’s office everything that happened during a lengthy interview yesterday. He will continue to tell the DA or the GBI, or any other investigator what happened. But he is absolutely not guilty of any crime and will not plead guilty and has not agreed to be a ‘state’s witness.’”
&#8220;The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice,&#8221; Samuel said in an apparent reference to the politically charged atmosphere surrounding current law enforcement matters. &#8220;This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.&#8221;
Samuel&#8217;s statement comes after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that its investigation into the incident was not over and that it was not consulted about the charges.
Attorney Don Samuel&#8217;s full statement regarding his client, officer Devin Brosnan:
<blockquote>“Devin Brosnan first wants to extend his condolences to the family of Rayshard Brooks. To his parents, his wife, his children, his extended family, his friends. It is clear that Mr. Brooks was greatly loved by many people.
“When Devin initially responded to the scene he thought that Mr. Brooks had had a long day or possibly had a medical condition. As he responded to the call he did not, at the time, have any intention of arresting Mr. Brooks. Devin’s only intention was to investigate and get further information about the situation. During his encounter with Mr. Brooks, Devin treated him with respect, dignity, and concern for Mr. Brooks’s safety as well as the safety of the people nearby.
“At the beginning of Devin’s interaction with Rayshard Brooks, Mr. Brooks was polite and affable. Mr. Brooks appeared to be impaired – either from a medical condition or possibly from alcohol. That is why Devin called for an officer specially trained in roadside evaluation to respond to the scene. Once the other officer responded – Officer Rolfe – it became Rolfe’s investigation. Devin was there to standby, to observe and assist if necessary. During Rolfe’s investigation it was apparent that Mr. Brooks was impaired; he was disoriented as to place and had trouble following Officer Rolfe’s questions.
“Various videos from that evening have been widely circulated. Devin did not know that Officer Rolfe was going to arrest Mr. Brooks; Officer Rolfe did not communicate that to Devin verbally or otherwise. When Devin saw Officer Rolfe bring Mr. Brooks’s hands behind his back, Devin followed his training and moved in to assist Officer Rolfe. At that time, a struggle between Mr. Brooks and the officers started.
“During that struggle, Devin pulled out his taser and warned Mr. Brooks to stop resisting or he would be tased. Devin never actually deployed his taser. Instead, Mr. Brooks took his taser from him and Mr. Brooks used it against Devin. Devin hit his head hard on the asphalt parking lot. He later received medical treatment and was diagnosed with a concussion at Grady. Devin also has burns from the taser, and other injuries. To be clear, at no time did Devin pull out his firearm.
“After Mr. Brooks ran away, with Officer Rolfe in pursuit, Devin got up and followed. You can tell from the video that he is limping. What you can’t tell is that he was disoriented from the head injury. After Mr. Brooks was shot, Devin ran to the location where Mr. Brooks had fallen. Within a minute – less than a minute – Rolfe runs back to his car to get medical equipment, at the same time another officer arrives on scene. You can see on the video – at time stamp 23:24:59 – the officers tried to stabilize Mr. Brooks and gave first aid. Devin did what he could to save Mr. Brooks.
“To be clear &#8211; Devin is cooperating with the Fulton County District Attorney’s investigation. He met with the assistant district attorney and investigator yesterday and answered their questions. He turned over his phone. He is in the process of providing medical records and photographs of his injuries. He has NOT agreed to be a “state’s witness” or to testify in any court hearing or to plead guilty to any charge. The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice.
“This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment. Shame on the District Attorney for this abuse of his charging power. Shame on the District Attorney for not honoring his oath to uphold the constitution. Shame on the District Attorney for this rush to misjudgment.”</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Fulton County DA Announces Decision On Charges In Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks

Attorney For Officer Devin Brosnan Debunks Claim Client Is State Witness, Unloads On D.A. Paul Howard

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation responded to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard&#8217;s press conference on Wednesday — in which he announced criminal charges against the two officers who were involved in the recent incident involving the death of Rayshard Brooks — by stating that they were not notified that it was going to happen and that the investigation was not over.
&#8220;The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Atlanta Police Department on Friday night, June 12th, to investigate an officer involved shooting at the Wendy’s Restaurant on University Avenue. We are in the process of conducting this investigation,&#8221; the bureau said in a statement. &#8220;Although we have made significant progress in the case, we have not completed our work. Our goal in every officer involved shooting case we are requested to review, is to complete a thorough, impartial investigation before we submit the file to the respective District Attorney’s Office.&#8221;
&#8220;The GBI was not aware of today’s press conference before it was conducted,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;We were not consulted on the charges filed by the District Attorney. Despite today’s occurrence, the GBI will complete its mission of completing an impartial and thorough investigation of this incident and we will submit the file, once completed, to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.&#8221;
GBI&#8217;s statement regarding Howard&#8217;s decision to announce charges against the two officers comes as Howard is facing an election runoff, is reportedly under criminal investigation, and has been <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/administrator-alleges-paul-howard-sexually-harassed-her/LbsYvyiyUWgbCJxW1xQexO/">repeatedly</a> accused of <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local/fulton-slapped-with-another-harassment-lawsuit/vuEoikax2eiBbC4OlNLP4L/">sexual harassment</a>. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local/gbi-opens-probe-fulton-paul-howard-over-use-nonprofit-funds/cgSq6UgzmHbCfGNJcxMJ6O/">reported</a> in early May:
<blockquote>The GBI has opened an investigation of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard and his use of a nonprofit to funnel at least $140,000 in city of Atlanta funds to supplement his salary, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News have learned.
The criminal investigation comes at a time when Howard, Fulton’s DA since 1997, is being challenged in the Democratic primary for reelection and is facing allegations of sexual harassment, which he strongly denies. [&#8230;]
Howard is also facing a state ethics complaint for not disclosing he was a chief executive of the nonprofit, People Partnering for Progress, in personal financial statements. On April 15, the Georgia Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission charged Howard with a dozen disclosure violations, most of them involving PPP.</blockquote>
Howard announced during a press conference on Wednesday that Officer Garrett Rolfe was facing 11 charges, including felony murder, for his alleged involvement in the death of Brooks. Howard also announced that the other police officer on scene, Devin Brosnan, was facing three charges, including aggravated assault and violation of oath.
Howard said, “We have concluded at the time Mr. Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers.” Howard later acknowledged that as Brooks was resisting arrest and running from the police that he took a taser from one of the officers and fired it at Rolfe.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Howard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/da-says-brooks-wasnt-threat-toward-cop-he-shot-taser-at-said-two-weeks-ago-taser-is-considered-a-deadly-weapon">announced</a> charges against a police officer who pointed a taser at a person because a taser was considered to be a deadly weapon under Georgia law.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

US-racism-police-JUSTICE

Georgia Bureau Of Investigation Responds To D.A.’s Charges: We Weren’t Consulted, Investigation Not Over

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced on Wednesday that the police officer who killed Rayshard Brooks last week was being charged with felony murder and that Brooks did not pose a threat to the officer even though Brooks fired a taser at the officer.
The remarks from Howard come after he charged a police officer earlier this month &#8220;for pointing a taser&#8221; at someone because a taser is considered to be a &#8220;deadly weapon&#8221; under Georgia law.
In explaining the charges against former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe, Howard said, “We’ve concluded at the time Mr. Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers.”
Howard continued by noting that Brooks fired a taser, which he took from the officer on scene, at Rolfe and that Rolfe opened fire on Brooks after that.
&#8220;But I don’t know if you can see it clearly,&#8221; Howard told the media in announcing the charges on Wednesday while showing a blown-up photograph of the incident. &#8220;The prongs from the taser were actually fired above Officer Rolfe here.&#8221;
Howard went on to say that after Brooks fired the taser at Rolfe, the distance between the two increased, leading Howard to say, &#8220;So based upon that information, we have concluded that Mr. Brooks was running away at the time that the shot was fired. Mr. Brooks was shot twice in the back.&#8221;
Earlier this month, however, Howard <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/868126089/6-atlanta-officers-charged-after-release-of-disturbing-arrest-video">announced</a> charges against several police officers in a case about alleged excessive use of force against two college students during the protests that took place after the death of George Floyd.
In announcing charges against one of the officers, Howard said that the officer was charged with &#8220;aggravated assault&#8221; for &#8220;pointing a taser&#8221; at one of the students because &#8220;under Georgia law a taser is considered a deadly weapon.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DA Paul Howard: “We’ve concluded at the time Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical to the officer… Brooks [fired] a taser [at the cop]”
He charged a cop on 06/02 “for pointing a taser” since “a taser is considered a deadly weapon” <a href="https://t.co/mGMXh7RGtX">pic.twitter.com/mGMXh7RGtX</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1273440402243125248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Wednesday evening, the Atlanta Police Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-atlanta-police-seeing-higher-than-usual-number-of-call-outs-comes-after-d-a-charged-police-officer-with-murder-of-rayshard-brooks">announced</a> that they were receiving a &#8220;higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift.&#8221;
APD tweeted: “Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations &amp; remain able to respond to incidents.”
Atlanta Democrat Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-atlanta-police-seeing-higher-than-usual-number-of-call-outs-comes-after-d-a-charged-police-officer-with-murder-of-rayshard-brooks">told</a> CNN during an interview that the situation in the city has been &#8220;very tough&#8221; over the past few weeks over the two incidents with law enforcement.
“Across the country, morale is down with police departments, and I think ours is down ten-fold,&#8221; Bottoms said.
When <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-atlanta-police-seeing-higher-than-usual-number-of-call-outs-comes-after-d-a-charged-police-officer-with-murder-of-rayshard-brooks">asked</a> by Cuomo how many officers were calling out in this “apparent revolt,” Bottoms responded: “Well, we don’t have a count yet because we were in the midst of a shift change, but what I do know is that we do have enough officers to cover us through the night.”
“Our streets won’t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out,” she added. “But it’s just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

US-RACISM-POLICE-MINORITIES-POLICITS

DA Says Brooks Wasn’t ‘Threat’ Toward Cop He Shot Taser At, Said Two Weeks Ago Taser Is ‘Considered’ A ‘Deadly Weapon’

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) said on Wednesday evening that they are seeing a &#8220;higher than usual&#8221; number of police officers not coming in for their shifts. This comes just hours after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced that the police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks last week was charged with felony murder.
The statement from APD came after numerous reports began to swirl online suggesting that police officers were walking off the job in response to Howard&#8217;s announcement.
APD tweeted: &#8220;Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations &amp; remain able to respond to incidents.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations &amp; remain able to respond to incidents.
&mdash; Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atlanta_Police/status/1273415926872969216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Atlanta Democrat Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms responded to the situation on CNN during an interview with Chris Cuomo.
&#8220;Across the country, morale is down with police departments, and I think ours is down ten-fold. This has been a very tough few weeks in Atlanta, with the tragedy of Mr. Brooks and then on top of that, the excessive force charges that were brought against the officers involved with the college students, there&#8217;s a lot happening in our city and our police officers are receiving the brunt of it quite frankly,&#8221; Bottoms said. &#8220;What I will say is this, my administration&#8217;s had a great working relationship with our officers. In fact, our officers were given a historic pay raise by our administration, and it was so our officers wouldn&#8217;t have to work three jobs and be fatigued, so they could afford to live in the city of Atlanta, so that they would not be resentful about policing our streets, so that we could have the best to choose from on our force.&#8221;
Bottoms continued, &#8220;And so what I would say is, in the same way our administration&#8217;s made that commitment to our officers, we expect our officers will keep their commitment to our communities.&#8221;
Cuomo followed Bottoms&#8217; statement by asking: &#8220;Do you think that the charges that came down today against Officer Rolfe warrant this kind of potential revolt by police officers?&#8221;
&#8220;No, I don&#8217;t. I don&#8217;t,&#8221; Bottoms snapped back. &#8220;Everything in this country has changed. I think what is surprising to many is the swiftness of the charges in the same way it was surprising with the college students two weeks ago, simply because we don&#8217;t normally get charges this quickly.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms:
“Across the country, morale is down with police departments, and I think ours is down tenfold.” <a href="https://t.co/rwVaCqwsux">pic.twitter.com/rwVaCqwsux</a>
&mdash; Benny (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1273427449360068611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked by Cuomo how many officers were calling out in this &#8220;apparent revolt,&#8221; Bottoms responded: &#8220;Well, we don&#8217;t have a count yet because we were in the midst of a shift change, but what I do know is that we do have enough officers to cover us through the night.&#8221;
&#8220;Our streets won&#8217;t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out,&#8221; she added. &#8220;But it&#8217;s just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;We do have enough officers to cover us through the night,&quot; says Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms amid reports officers are calling in sick.
&quot;Our streets won&#39;t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out,&quot; she adds. &quot;…We will be fine.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3X8Q4tglPb">pic.twitter.com/3X8Q4tglPb</a>
&mdash; Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) <a href="https://twitter.com/CuomoPrimeTime/status/1273425456675590144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Protests continue over the death of George Floyd in Atlanta

Atlanta Police Seeing ‘Higher Than Usual Number Of Call Outs,’ Comes After D.A. Charged Police Officer With Murder Of Rayshard Brooks

Filmmaker Tyler Perry has offered to pay for the funeral of Rayshard Brooks, the 27-year-old black man shot by police in Atlanta last week.
In a press conference on Monday, L. Chris Stewart, the attorney representing the family of Rayshard Brooks, confirmed that Tyler Perry offered to pay for the funeral services.
“We want to thank and acknowledge Tyler Perry, who we spoke with, who will be taking care of the funeral for the family,” said Stewart, as reported by <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/06/tyler-perry-rayshard-brooks-funeral-atlanta-police-1202960032/">Deadline</a>. “It’s support like that and it’s people who are actually in this community — that love the community, that want healing and families like this to never have to go through something like this — to step forward.”
Tyler Perry himself has not publicly acknowledged the charitable offer. As noted by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/entertainment/tyler-perry-rayshard-brooks-funeral/index.html">CNN</a>, Perry has a history of making such offers in the face of tragedy.
<blockquote>Last year, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/19/entertainment/tyler-perry-pays-rent-for-georgia-family/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the media mogul paid expenses for the family of Tynesha Evans</a> after her boyfriend allegedly shot and killed her at a bank in Alpharetta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta.
In 2016,<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/tyler-perry-offers-pay-for-funeral-twins-who-died-hot-car/A4xrerANmCjgo3esoAa21N/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> he reportedly offered to pay for the funeral for 15-month-old twin girls Ariel Roxanne North and Alaynah Maryanne North</a>, who died after being left in a hot car in Carrollton, Georgia.</blockquote>
Rayshard Brooks was killed in Atlanta, Georgia, last Friday night after an altercation with police in a Wendy’s parking lot, where police were called on reports that Brooks was “passed out” behind the wheel of his vehicle in the drive-through line.
Body camera footage released by the police department on Sunday shows that the situation remained mostly calm until Brooks tested as over the limit on the breathalyzer. When the officers tried to handcuff Brooks for driving while under the influence, Brooks attempted to flee, grappling with police, who repeatedly warned him to “stop fighting” and that he would “get Tased.” In the struggle, Brooks managed to get ahold of one of the officers’ Tasers. One of the officers then used his Taser on Brooks, who was running away before turning and allegedly attempting to shoot the officer with the stolen Taser. It was at this point that an officer fired on Brooks.
On Wednesday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged Officer Garrett Rolfe, who pulled the trigger on Brooks, with 11 counts, &#8220;including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-former-atlanta-officer-charged-with-felony-murder-in-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks">The Daily Wire</a>. Rolfe&#8217;s partner, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative leave and currently faces three charges.
Rolfe and Brosnan responded to the charges through their attorneys.
“The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice,” Brosnan’s attorney said. “This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.”
“Officer Rolfe is well known to the courts and there is no compelling reason to bring any charges against them before the GBI has completed its investigation and published its findings,” Rolfe’s attorney said.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Dr. Phil McGraw Honored With A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Tyler Perry Offers To Pay For Rayshard Brooks Funeral

Tyler Perry

A former Atlanta police officer is facing felony charges after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot last week.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced the charges against Garrett Rolfe, who was fired over the weekend, on Wednesday. Rolfe is facing 11 counts, including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Rolfe’s partner who was present during Brooks’ shooting, Devin Brosnan, is facing three charges and has been placed on administrative leave, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Rolfe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-atlanta-man-fatally-shot-by-police-after-struggle-outside-drive-thru">killed</a> Brooks late on Friday night after responding to a call from a Wendy&#8217;s employee that a man had fallen asleep behind the wheel in his car in the drive-through and was obstructing traffic. The officers ran Brooks through a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer that pegged Brooks’ blood alcohol concentration at .108%, according to body cam footage released by the Atlanta police department. The legal limit to drive is .08%.
After cooperating for nearly half an hour, Brooks <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">fought</a> with the officers as they tried to place him in handcuffs. All three struggled and fell to the ground where Brooks managed to take Brosnan’s taser and escape the officers. Rolfe shot after Brooks fired the stolen taser at him.
<iframe title="Body cam footage of Rayshard Brooks’ death shows calm, then chaos" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hnRuWcgflaE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rolfe and Brosnan responded to the charges in statements given by their respective attorneys, according to <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/rayshard-brooks-death-da-to-announce-charging-decision-for-cops/85-72dd891d-e5d1-43e7-931d-f6e159501b77">WXIA</a>.
“The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice,” Brosnan&#8217;s attorney said. “This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.”
“Officer Rolfe is well known to the courts and there is no compelling reason to bring any charges against them before the GBI has completed its investigation and published its findings,” Rolfe’s attorney said.
Brooks’ shooting sparked protests in the city of Atlanta and local officials criticized and cracked down on the officers involved. Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday over the incident.
“For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief. APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department,” Shields said, according to <a href="https://www.cbs46.com/news/8-atlanta-officers-resign-as-morale-plummets/article_d7c10d36-af4b-11ea-9aed-db1ef14247a6.html">CBS 46</a>. “I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
A day later, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that Brooks’ killing was “murder.” Bottoms sharp criticism of police officers’ conduct comes amid nationwide protests and riots over police brutality and alleged systemic police racism after the death of George Floyd. Morale among Atlanta police has plummeted in recent weeks and eight city police officers have resigned since June 1. Two to six resign in a typical month.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Wendy&#8217;s

Former Atlanta Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks

According to Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA), the radical &#8220;Defund the Police&#8221; movement has a serious branding problem. The slogan isn&#8217;t just bad, it&#8217;s &#8220;probably one of the worst slogans ever,&#8221; says the California representative.
During an interview with The Washington Post on Monday, the Los Angeles-based congresswoman gave a brutally honest assessment of the growing movement on the Left to defund the police, which she has already stated flatly that she rejects.
As highlighted by <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/black-caucus-chair-defund-the-police-is-one-of-the-worst-slogans/">the New York Post,</a> asked what exactly the slogan &#8220;Defund the Police&#8221; means, Rep. Bass replied, &#8220;I told some friends that’s probably one of the worst slogans ever.&#8221;
Though she hates the slogan and rejects the movement in its more radical form, Bass attempted to argue for a more moderate version of the calls to &#8220;abolish&#8221; law enforcement as we know it. Part of the problem, Bass suggested, is that police are now asked to do some things that social workers are better equipped to handle.
“Police officers are the first ones to say they are law enforcement officers, they’re not social workers,&#8221; she said. &#8220;What we have done in our country is, we have not invested in health, social and economic problems in communities. We leave the police to pick up the pieces.&#8221;
Pointing to her own city, Los Angeles, which has become plagued by rampant homelessness, Bass noted that &#8220;on any given night,&#8221; some 40,000 or so homeless people are inhabiting the city. Police, she said, should not have to deal with that or generally be asked to &#8220;clean up society’s problems.&#8221; The answer, she maintained, is reprioritizing spending, directing some of the money currently going to law enforcement to social services and other resources to address these issues.
Asked earlier in the interview how the Rayshard Brooks case fits into the left&#8217;s police brutality protests, Bass pointed out that the Brooks case appears to be different than the Floyd case because Brooks &#8220;clearly engaged in a fight&#8221; with officers and appeared to point the taser he had wrestled from one of the officers at police.
&#8220;I mean the big difference is that [Brooks] clearly engaged in a fight and then he ran and he turned around and — at least it looks as though he turned around with his taser,&#8221; said the congresswoman.
Bass then added some &#8220;Defund the Police&#8221;-themed questions.
&#8220;But the question here is why were the police involved at all? I mean what he had done is he had fallen asleep in a take-out line. Why did they call the police on him?&#8221; she asked, suggesting that a DUI situation in which a man passes out behind the wheel of a vehicle in a drive-thru should not involve law enforcement.
&#8220;And when they called the police on him, why did it escalate the point of them engaging in a fight?&#8221; she added.
As body-cam video released by authorities shows (below), the reason the initially calm situation &#8220;escalated&#8221; — as Bass herself acknowledged previously — was that Brooks began to grapple with police when they calmly attempted to handcuff him for driving while under the influence, an act that endangered both Brooks&#8217; life and others&#8217; lives.
In the tussle, during which police repeatedly asked Brooks to &#8220;stop fighting&#8221; and warned him that he would be tased, Brooks grabbed one of the officer&#8217;s tasers. After being tased by an officer, Brooks turned and appeared to aim the taser he had obtained at the pursuing officer. It was at this point that the officer shot him.
Rep. Bass&#8217;s interview with the Post below followed by body-cam and surveillance footage of the Brooks shooting (warning: graphic content):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass joins The Post to discuss reforms to curb police brutality, end racial profiling, and eliminate qualified immunity with the Justice in Policing Act. <a href="https://t.co/vSOF4xJUcQ">https://t.co/vSOF4xJUcQ</a>
&mdash; The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1272582101179805696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Watch the footage yourself&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/1H6fsnLjpL">https://t.co/1H6fsnLjpL</a>
&mdash; Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaMarieBoothe/status/1272154663312338945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Demonstrators hold placards saying &#8216;Defund The Police&#8217;

Congressional Black Caucus Chair: ‘Defund The Police’ Is ‘One Of Worst Slogans Ever’

Defund The Police

Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of individuals responsible for starting the fire during protests Saturday that ultimately consumed the Wendy&#8217;s restaurant outside of which Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot during a confrontation with police the night before.
The City of Atlanta Police Department posted a notice about the $10,000 reward on Facebook on Sunday that includes photos of one of the suspects, a female dressed in all black, including a black hat and a black face-covering. The post reads:
<blockquote>Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta is offering a $10,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest and indictment of the individuals responsible for starting a fire that led to the destruction of a Wendy’s restaurant at 125 University Avenue in southwest Atlanta during protests that began Saturday, June 13 and lasted into the morning hours of June 14.
The Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue Department welcome information on other individuals responsible for the arson attack.
Anyone with information can provide an anonymous tip and be eligible for the reward money by calling 404-577-TIPS (8477) or submitting information online at <a href="https://atlantapolicefoundation.org/programs/crime-stoppers/?fbclid=IwAR3kBVBFVrltEMBHtFtOzJ2mKk4wfWIe_4ZLrObB4DIQ71ZgYA1mmwyeCVA" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;-U&quot;}" data-lynx-mode="origin" data-nguardprocessed="true" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fatlantapolicefoundation.org%2Fprograms%2Fcrime-stoppers%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3kBVBFVrltEMBHtFtOzJ2mKk4wfWIe_4ZLrObB4DIQ71ZgYA1mmwyeCVA&amp;h=AT3rOh07Dti1GbN8QIV11VU6IIMMzF128nP-7XajgK141S_xfyXvNmtI5WXvN4EDTqqpAw4CNax5kCKHPqF2mMJi6e4XkqafVfk7k9MnC1csfNc8rUlc3GfimjvjMOwxA5m6CUt0SvftE34jAVM2mA_nPcRc3jiSjOAeYPvNmNtIZnwOuP6iOoYdJuePgD_m-PgXoygG4FNl4jnIRy5vPyjOANSCEZXVi4tGWTl_s7ch8Q7KZHqSx1ymfih0yAh7pE5rdisVSadvgN4Qz2EcxO3qJthRaQNZaLuNB8Q60Y62I75M7EHnd0g2gEhdd32xarT-YuTfPM9SZLyJd2luTefzxaoEdsfWcgpuJTUnynApDrabyCKHHoBoH7pi1FJLx610PpW4MchnqR8tepVeFdzkbH320JTe8zlqTgRHNNB234gfWg8JL1Gb1Yil1gOi5w5cqHwN_JhZmIzW2rwNIyntVNoBoeoMob7aPQiuFBH7ozVnAyJ3ceXom3a5EZ42e6zeRDhxMoxnxSJkuGGJRZgrKzrZt93mIJTJNSqRXCTFH5T19s8TvrJ_66WOIwKcGmRn8AzyHARANPQdS-5_cyf8Am4P8-uwLEH6hXHj-WiNBgiZdhC2c5z0bnzaOYdjbA2X2kE">https://atlantapolicefoundation.org/programs/crime-stoppers/</a>.
A video of the woman was posted on social media and can be viewed here: <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/imkingfola/status/1272012004539224066?fbclid=IwAR2ekQ6fipUGmITHhWmIwoKP0pLXX0zgS071XA4-5UCJ8pWaRePia6dX_qk" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;-U&quot;}" data-lynx-mode="origin" data-nguardprocessed="true" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.twitter.com%2Fimkingfola%2Fstatus%2F1272012004539224066%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2ekQ6fipUGmITHhWmIwoKP0pLXX0zgS071XA4-5UCJ8pWaRePia6dX_qk&amp;h=AT1z3skkSZM9IhjJZHZH5DPSuBg2lu_zN7lbWKdCE31S67NBuD2DhPouuA_9LFEFL1cGfrNoWSVZK_2OzWysjHIB7rt3PrU11djqZ8k_hn6em9jHhJB9_FsM56U8or7oF7sxmhHBdhoo278YPDGS41F9MeHUNrvnzAA_8vQPtujuW1oNE5y_paMzpc93sX-OyUlVKT7-dhHqm5lhIKZNXsfJf3u1kqKUER1VRecPCZFdsYJwPjQEU54GToG8iZ6G9JJ5RHkTHdHyjrfRNoGUUqLkbyF7kVDdB6NWmL1yDAXQGRlBjiWA_i5vh2xnyy0WEhlZTOZ0Anf-2dwCmHxTGAzdcodD7Rwqd7VlkdP3gtiTtOZj50x4UV4Lxtbn4GYm8s7ieHF_eZhj2jowEDGxdO536_Cd4XoRgqVHDVMhHNOF8LkMRqW4W9np60_MpNExBLuTCl4bVSI0SuJH2MVZ8DeQNPo0qYoVLO44fpzGnS6M9u2M8DStDhqbEjHP4g3l3PgJRJA8iKDzvJeqfV9A2fOBwlFqYWmapQ0Pf4NP__ybWkCc648NLhV7Z0UHPKsh3i7oUnPmhLExIOmKN0tWE-vdACuEB5L7fNW1NYV5jtGZRcERPs-nqpefhxTnYkk0VsZb2ls">https://mobile.twitter.com/imkin…/status/1272012004539224066</a>. 
Additionally, please see attached video/photos of the individual attempting to hide her identity</blockquote>
<iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAtlantaPoliceDpt%2Fposts%2F3282761108401395&amp;width=500" width="500" height="789" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Below is the video hyperlinked in the APD&#8217;s post:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I had to get this footage cause the media will make it seem like we burned this shit down <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlantaProtest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtlantaProtest</a> <a href="https://t.co/mGi8kAYqUw">pic.twitter.com/mGi8kAYqUw</a>
— Fola 🇳🇬👑✊🏿 (@ImKingFola) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImKingFola/status/1272012004539224066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Amid protests on Saturday in response to the death of Brooks, the Wendy&#8217;s where Brooks was found asleep behind the wheel in the drive-thru and fatally shot after a confrontation with police was set ablaze.
&#8220;Fire at Wendy&#8217;s on University Ave in southwest Atlanta raging,&#8221; Ric Garni of Atlanta&#8217;s WXIA-TV posted Saturday night, along with video of the conflagration. &#8220;A night to remember in Atlanta: Rayshard Brooks shot by an officer, the chief of Atlanta police resigned, and protesters stormed the interstate. Now, fire.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fire at Wendy&#39;s on University Ave in southwest Atlanta raging. A night to remember in Atlanta: Rayshard Brooks shot by an officer, the chief of Atlanta police resigned, and protesters stormed the interstate. Now, fire. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlantaShooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtlantaShooting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlantaProtest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtlantaProtest</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fgjq7jhDiZ">pic.twitter.com/Fgjq7jhDiZ</a>
&mdash; Ric Garni (@RICGARNI) <a href="https://twitter.com/RICGARNI/status/1272005902133006336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The fire came amid a series of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-rioters-burn-down-wendys-in-atlanta-where-rayshard-brooks-was-killed">protests</a>, some turned riotous, in the area in response to Brooks&#8217; death. In a series of <a href="https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020">press releases</a>, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) provided details on what took place in the Wendy&#8217;s parking lot shortly after 10:30 p.m.
“Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 10:33 pm, [the Atlanta Police Department] was dispatched to the Wendy’s located at 125 University Ave, Atlanta, GA. Officers were responding to a complaint of a male in a vehicle parked in the drive thru asleep, causing other customers to drive around the vehicle,&#8221; GBI reported.
After reviewing bodycam and surveillance footage of the incident (below), the GBI reported: &#8220;These new videos indicate that during a physical struggle with officers, Brooks obtained one of the officer’s Tasers and began to flee from the scene. Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Watch the footage yourself&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/1H6fsnLjpL">https://t.co/1H6fsnLjpL</a>
&mdash; Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaMarieBoothe/status/1272154663312338945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Fulton County medical examiner <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53047282">concluded</a> that the manner of death of Rayshard Brooks, two gunshots to the back, was homicide. The police officer who shot Brooks has been fired and the police chief has resigned.
In a <a href="https://www.squaredealblog.com/homewendys/a-message-from-wendys-president-and-ceo-todd-penegor-to-the-wendys-system-regarding-the-tragic-events-in-atlanta">memo</a> to employees and franchisees issued Sunday, Wendy&#8217;s President and CEO Todd Penegor responded to the burning of the restaurant and the fatal shooting of Brooks. Read the full statement below:
<blockquote>
Wendy’s Family,
I wanted to reach out regarding the heartbreaking events that occurred in Atlanta this weekend.
The tragic death of Rayshard Brooks, and the pain this has caused, saddens us all. Wendy’s has proudly served the Atlanta community for decades and seeing our restaurant burn was difficult, but we are extremely grateful that all of the team members remained safe. The local franchisee who owns this restaurant is ensuring that employees displaced from work will continue to be paid and will have the option to remain employed at other restaurants in the area. Wendy’s is also making funds available through WeCare, our employee assistance program, to any restaurant team member in our system who may experience a financial loss due to short-term restaurant closures or disruptions.
As we’ve communicated <a href="https://www.squaredealblog.com/homewendys/wendys-to-donate-500k-to-support-black-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previously</a>, Wendy’s is committed to doing our part to make real change by supporting our employees and the Black community through social justice, youth and education efforts.
I realize that recent events have taken an emotional toll on all of us, and I encourage you to take advantage of support resources available like Employee Assistance Programs, and to seek comfort from each other, your friends and family. We will do everything we can to support the Wendy’s Family, and we’re hopeful that the days ahead will bring greater understanding and healing.
Take care,
Todd
</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

SEE IT: Crimestoppers Post $10,000 Reward, Photos Of Person Suspected Of Burning Down Atlanta Wendy’s

Wendy's

Another round of riots broke out in Atlanta over the weekend, this time over the police shooting of a man named Rayshard Brooks. The media is quick to tell us that the deceased is a black man and the officer who shot him is white, but Brooks’ race appears to be far less relevant than his behavior in this case. 
Police were originally called to a local Wendy’s on Friday night after Brooks fell asleep behind the wheel in the drive-thru lane. When officers arrived and noticed a strong scent of alcohol, along with the other obvious indicators of drunkenness, they asked him to take a sobriety test. When his blood alcohol content came back well over the legal limit, they attempted to make an arrest.
Up to this point, the officers were polite and calm. But Brooks decided to escalate the situation. He resisted arrest, assaulted the officers, stole a taser, fired it at them, ran, and then, in a final gratuitously reckless act, he turned while running and pointed the taser at the cops. It was only at this point, after Brooks had done literally everything in his power to turn a non-violent encounter into a violent encounter, that one of the officers shot and killed him. All of this was caught on tape, in full context. You can watch it <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1272196919402643458?s=20">below</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here’s the full video. Cops were polite, reasonable. Brooks assaulted them, stole a taser, shot the taser at them multiple times, and finally was killed. If you’re trying to make these cops into racist killers, you’re just a dishonest person.
 <a href="https://t.co/PdAefjO0Re">pic.twitter.com/PdAefjO0Re</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1272196919402643458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The officer who fired the shot has already been terminated and may face charges. The police chief has resigned. The Wendy&#8217;s was burned to the ground. Activists and leftists are insisting that this is yet more proof that black men are being targeted for extermination by racist cops. We are <a href="https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/1271908070369775616?s=20">told</a> that Brooks was killed &#8220;because he was sleeping in his car,&#8221; as if the police showed up and carried out a summary execution as punishment for sleepiness. This is to yadda-yadda right past the part where Brooks committed a series of violent felonies against two police officers who were merely trying to get a drunk man off the street before he killed himself or someone else.
Could the cops have responded differently? In the moments before the shots were fired, no. They did everything by the book. They were professional and reasonable. As for the that fatal shot, yes, the officer perhaps could have made a different choice in hindsight. But hindsight is a privilege enjoyed by those of us who are watching this all play out, after the fact, from the comfort of our homes. In the heat of the moment, from the officer’s perspective, they have been thrust suddenly from the routine matter of arresting a drunk driver, to a violent struggle with a now-armed assailant. As he runs away and points something at them, do they know it’s the taser? Could it be a gun he had on him? And if it is a taser, what if he hits one of them and then comes back for the gun while the officer is incapacitated? These are all calculations these cops must make in a split second. The question is not whether shooting Brooks makes sense to you, watching the footage three days later, from your couch, while casually sipping a cup of coffee. The question is whether it could have reasonably made sense to them, from their perspective, out there in the thick of it. And I think the answer to that question is yes. 
<iframe title="Atlanta Riots Over Justified Police Shooting Of An Armed, Violent Man | The Matt Walsh Show Ep. 504" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TTmwNFQs8oo?start=38&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
But let&#8217;s put the decision-making process of the police officers to the side for a moment. What about the choices made by Brooks himself? Were his choices justified? Was his use of force excessive? Was he behaving in a way that respects the lives of the officers, and those around him, and even himself? What responsibility does he carry?
Every time something like this happens, we talk about what the actions of the cops &#8212; what they should have done, what they could have done, what they might have done better &#8212; yet we rarely bother to ask these same questions of the often-violent suspect who initiated the encounter by committing a crime, and then turned it violent by resisting arrest, and sometimes going quite a bit further than that, as Brooks did. We hold the officers 100 percent responsible for everything, while holding the suspect responsible for nothing. Is he an infant? A pre-programmed robot? Is he not a thinking, choice-making agent, acting on his own volition? Leftists activists and protesters would appear to answer no, he is not responsible for anything, even his own choices.
Consider the irrationality of this position. What they’re really saying is that Brooks should have been able to assault police officers, steal their taser, and fire it at them, without being killed. Try saying that out loud to see how it feels: “I think a man should be able to assault a cop, steal his taser, and fire it at him, without being killed.” That is obviously lunacy, and it would lead to the complete breakdown of law and order if it were actually applied.
It is sad that this man is dead, just as it is sad anytime someone dies. But it is sad because Brooks threw his own life away for no reason. It is sad that he made the choices that he made and brought his death on himself. He is responsible. He paid the price, and it’s a sad price indeed. But it’s the price anyone is at the risk of paying if they make the choices that this man made. This is not a story of police brutality. It’s a story of a man named Rayshard Brooks, who did a bad thing by driving drunk, and followed it up with an enormously stupid and reckless thing by assaulting a cop and stealing his taser. And after that night filled with bad, stupid, reckless choices, he died. As so many others have, after nights like that. And that is not the fault of any police officer.

Defund the Police

WALSH: A Man Is Killed After Assaulting A Cop And Stealing His Taser. The Left Calls It Police Brutality. That’s Nonsense.

President Donald Trump weighed into the controversy surrounding the death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police officers in Atlanta last weekend, calling it &#8220;very disturbing.&#8221;
Speaking at a White House roundtable event, the president said that it was a &#8220;terrible situation&#8221; that resulted in Rayshard&#8217;s death.
“I thought it was a terrible situation,” Trump said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rayshard-brooks-death-very-disturbing">Fox News</a>. “To me it was very disturbing.”
Rayshard Brooks was killed in Atlanta, Georgia, last Friday night after an altercation with police in a Wendy’s parking lot, where police were called on reports that Brooks was “passed out” behind the wheel of his vehicle in the drive-through line.
Body camera footage released by the police department on Sunday shows that the situation remained mostly calm until Brooks tested as over the limit on the breathalyzer. When the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks for driving while under the influence, Brooks attempted to flee, grappling with police, who repeatedly warned him to “stop fighting” and that he would “get Tased.” In the struggle, Brooks managed to get hold of one of the officers’ taser. One of the officers then used his Taser on Brooks, who was running away before turning and allegedly attempting to shoot the officer with the taser. It was at this point that an officer fired on Brooks.
“These new videos indicate that during a physical struggle with officers, Brooks obtained one of the officer’s Tasers and began to flee from the scene,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation <a href="https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-06-13/gbi-investigates-officer-involved-shooting-atlanta">said</a>. “Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks.”
Officer Garrett Rolfe, who fired the fatal shots, has been terminated from duty while Officer Devin Brosnan has been placed on administrative duty. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms believed that lethal force was not justified in this situation.
“I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force,” <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/14/atlanta-officer-fired-after-fatal-shooting-of-black-man.html">Bottoms said</a> during a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
But Steven Gainor, a police union president, maintains that the use of lethal force was justified. “If I’m an untrained individual and I aim [a Taser] at your head, that could be deadly,” he said. “You could lose an eye.”
On Saturday, looters set fire to the Wendy&#8217;s where Rayshard Brooks was killed. Authorities have offered a $10,000 to whoever provides information leading to an arrest of those who started the fire.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-mayor-bottoms-addressing-public-safety-rayshard-brooks/85-1ac0b3d0-7c1d-4f49-9f32-222dff1a9c85">said the shooting</a> has prompted her to make immediate changes to the police department, arguing that Brooks was fleeing in fear of being locked up on the weekend of his daughter&#8217;s birthday.
&#8220;It pissed me off, it makes me sad, and I&#8217;m frustrated,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And nothing I&#8217;m going to do is going to change what happened on Friday. I would venture to say when I saw him run, if you all haven&#8217;t watched the entirety of that bodycam video, he talked about his daughter&#8217;s birthday. And the first thing I thought when he ran was that he probably didn&#8217;t want to be locked up over the weekend. And I know that, because I&#8217;ve had family members in that position. They get locked up on the wrong day for something stupid.&#8221;
&#8220;The task force on policing convened last week, then we had the shooting of Brooks,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;The committee continues to work but it is clear we do not have another minute, day or hour to waste. And, so, I am signing some administrative orders calling on our COO to coordinate with our interim chief to come up with reforms on use-of-force policy.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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Rayshard Brooks

Company That Terminated Stepmother Of Atlanta Police Officer Releases New Statement On Her Termination

Tucker Carlson: Stepmother Of Police Officer Charged In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Fired From Her Job. Company Releases Statement.

WATCH: Chick-Fil-A CEO Appears To Justify Rioters Burning Down Wendy’s, Urges White People To Repent Of Racism

Body-Cam Footage: Officer Who Shot Brooks Begs Him To Stay Alive: ‘Mr. Brooks Keep Breathing. Keep Breathing For Me’

Candace Owens Slams Coverage Of Floyd, Brooks: ‘Stop Sanctifying Criminals’

READ IT: Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Responds Through Legal Team

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Atlanta Police Officers Not Responding To Calls In Multiple Zones, Comes After D.A. Charged Officer With Murder In Rayshard Brooks Case

FLASHBACK: Milwaukee Cops Went On 1981 Strike After Two Cops Were Killed And Cops Thought Local Official Justified It

WATCH: Black Georgia Sheriff Tells CNN: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks Was ‘Completely Justified’

Attorney For Officer Devin Brosnan Debunks Claim Client Is State Witness, Unloads On D.A. Paul Howard

Georgia Bureau Of Investigation Responds To D.A.’s Charges: We Weren’t Consulted, Investigation Not Over

DA Says Brooks Wasn’t ‘Threat’ Toward Cop He Shot Taser At, Said Two Weeks Ago Taser Is ‘Considered’ A ‘Deadly Weapon’

Atlanta Police Seeing ‘Higher Than Usual Number Of Call Outs,’ Comes After D.A. Charged Police Officer With Murder Of Rayshard Brooks

Tyler Perry Offers To Pay For Rayshard Brooks Funeral

Former Atlanta Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks

Congressional Black Caucus Chair: ‘Defund The Police’ Is ‘One Of Worst Slogans Ever’

SEE IT: Crimestoppers Post $10,000 Reward, Photos Of Person Suspected Of Burning Down Atlanta Wendy’s

WALSH: A Man Is Killed After Assaulting A Cop And Stealing His Taser. The Left Calls It Police Brutality. That’s Nonsense.

Trump: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks ‘Very Disturbing’

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Rayshard Brooks

Company That Terminated Stepmother Of Atlanta Police Officer Releases New Statement On Her Termination

Tucker Carlson: Stepmother Of Police Officer Charged In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Fired From Her Job. Company Releases Statement.

WATCH: Chick-Fil-A CEO Appears To Justify Rioters Burning Down Wendy’s, Urges White People To Repent Of Racism

Body-Cam Footage: Officer Who Shot Brooks Begs Him To Stay Alive: ‘Mr. Brooks Keep Breathing. Keep Breathing For Me’

Candace Owens Slams Coverage Of Floyd, Brooks: ‘Stop Sanctifying Criminals’

READ IT: Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Responds Through Legal Team

WATCH: Rayshard Brooks Discusses The Struggles Of Life On Probation In February Interview

Atlanta Police Officers Not Responding To Calls In Multiple Zones, Comes After D.A. Charged Officer With Murder In Rayshard Brooks Case

FLASHBACK: Milwaukee Cops Went On 1981 Strike After Two Cops Were Killed And Cops Thought Local Official Justified It

WATCH: Black Georgia Sheriff Tells CNN: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks Was ‘Completely Justified’

Attorney For Officer Devin Brosnan Debunks Claim Client Is State Witness, Unloads On D.A. Paul Howard

Georgia Bureau Of Investigation Responds To D.A.’s Charges: We Weren’t Consulted, Investigation Not Over

DA Says Brooks Wasn’t ‘Threat’ Toward Cop He Shot Taser At, Said Two Weeks Ago Taser Is ‘Considered’ A ‘Deadly Weapon’

Atlanta Police Seeing ‘Higher Than Usual Number Of Call Outs,’ Comes After D.A. Charged Police Officer With Murder Of Rayshard Brooks

Tyler Perry Offers To Pay For Rayshard Brooks Funeral

Former Atlanta Officer Charged With Felony Murder In Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks

Congressional Black Caucus Chair: ‘Defund The Police’ Is ‘One Of Worst Slogans Ever’

SEE IT: Crimestoppers Post $10,000 Reward, Photos Of Person Suspected Of Burning Down Atlanta Wendy’s

WALSH: A Man Is Killed After Assaulting A Cop And Stealing His Taser. The Left Calls It Police Brutality. That’s Nonsense.

Trump: Shooting Of Rayshard Brooks ‘Very Disturbing’

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