Atlanta city officials unanimously voted Monday to pay $1 million to the family of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by police after failing a field sobriety test and resisting arrest in June 2020 outside a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant.
Councilmembers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtXgEUNbTbs">voted</a> 15-0 nearly three months after a specially appointed prosecutor said he would not pursue charges against the two Atlanta police officers who clashed with Brooks.
&#8220;This grieving family has been through so much during this process,&#8221; attorneys representing Brooks&#8217; family said in a statement obtained by <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/atlanta-pay-1m-rayshard-brooks-family-deadly-police-shooting-rcna58295">NBC</a>. &#8220;Although the children of Mr. Brooks have lost their father, settling the case will undoubtedly assist them with future plans as they come of age.&#8221;
Brooks&#8217; death came amid ongoing violent riots and protests across the United States over the death of George Floyd, who was killed a few weeks before Brooks by Minneapolis police officers.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys&#8217; Council of Georgia, said Officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Brooks twice in the back, and Officer Devin Bronson, of the Atlanta Police Department, faced a &#8220;dynamic situation&#8221; that was &#8220;quickly evolving.&#8221; Such factors prompted the special prosecutor to drop the charges against the officers.
On June 12, 2020, Rolfe and Brosnan responded to a call about a man who fell asleep at the wheel while waiting in the drive-thru lane of a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant in South Atlanta. The officers approached Brooks and spoke to him for nearly 40 minutes before concluding that the 27-year-old man had imbibed too much alcohol.
Patrol car and body-cam footage from the officers showed Brooks admitting that he consumed alcohol before his encounter with law enforcement. He would later consent to a portable field alcohol test that came back above the legal limit of .08 blood alcohol content. As soon as the officers tried to detain Brooks, he resisted arrest and wrestled his way out of the officers&#8217; control, who both fell to the ground during the incident, resulting in Brosnan&#8217;s concussion.
While the officers struggled to apprehend Brooks, he snatched Brosnan&#8217;s Taser and attempted to fire at Rolfe while fleeing the scene.
Rolfe fired three bullets at Brooks and ultimately killed him.
&#8220;Based on the facts and circumstances confronting Officer Rolfe and Officer Brosnan in this case, it is my conclusion the use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and that they did not act with criminal intent,&#8221; Skandalakis <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11139069/Two-Atlanta-police-officers-NOT-face-charges-fatal-shooting-Rayshard-Brooks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, per Daily Mail.
Skandalakis called it &#8220;a peaceful encounter that all of a sudden becomes a violent encounter.&#8221;
Just 24 hours after the two Atlanta policemen killed Brooks, rioters burned down Wendy&#8217;s restaurant where the incident occurred.
&#8220;Black lives do matter,&#8221; Skandalakis said during a press conference, according to Daily Mail. &#8220;I&#8217;ve spent my entire career representing black victims of crime. I understand that the encounters between police and the African American community at times are very volatile. But I would ask them to look at the facts of this case, and this isn&#8217;t one of those cases.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a case in which the officers were willing to give Mr. Brooks every benefit of the doubt, and unfortunately, by his actions, this is what happened,&#8221; he added.

Public Viewing Held For Rayshard Brooks In Atlanta

Atlanta Agrees To Pay Family Of Rayshard Brooks, Who Fired Taser At Officer, $1M After Deadly Police Shooting

2020

Atlanta

Black Lives Matter

George Floyd

Rayshard Brooks

U.S.

Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/atlanta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta</a> police officers who shot and killed 27-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rayshard-brooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rayshard Brooks</a> outside a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant in June 2020 will not face charges for using deadly force, authorities announced Tuesday.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys&#8217; Council of Georgia, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rayshard-brooks-shooting-officer-no-charges-910f8d1812fc7775d621242aaccbad9d">said</a> Officer Garret Rolfe, who shot Brooks twice in the back, and Officer Devin Bronson, of the Atlanta Police Department, faced a &#8220;dynamic situation&#8221; that was &#8220;quickly evolving.&#8221; Such factors prompted the special prosecutor to drop the charges against the officers.
On June 12, 2020, Rolfe and Brosnan responded to a call about a man who fell asleep at the wheel while waiting in the drive-thru lane of a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant in South Atlanta. The officers approached Brooks and spoke to him for nearly 40 minutes before concluding that the 27-year-old man had imbibed too much alcohol.
Patrol car and body-cam footage from the officers revealed Brooks admitting that he consumed alcohol before his encounter with law enforcement. He would later consent to a portable field alcohol test that came back above the legal limit of .08 blood alcohol content. As soon as the officers tried to detain Brooks, he resisted arrest and wrestled his way out of the officers’ control, who both fell to the ground during the incident, resulting in Brosnan&#8217;s concussion.
While the officers struggled to apprehend Brooks, he snatched Brosnan&#8217;s Taser and attempted to fire at Rolfe while fleeing the scene.
That&#8217;s when Rolfe fired three bullets at Brooks, and ultimately killed him.
&#8220;Based on the facts and circumstances confronting Officer Rolfe and Officer Brosnan in this case, it is my conclusion the use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and that they did not act with criminal intent,&#8221; Skandalakis said, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11139069/Two-Atlanta-police-officers-NOT-face-charges-fatal-shooting-Rayshard-Brooks.html">Daily Mail</a>.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rayshard-brooks-shooting-officer-no-charges-910f8d1812fc7775d621242aaccbad9d">reports</a> that Skandalakis called it &#8220;a peaceful encounter that all of a sudden becomes a violent encounter.&#8221;
Authorities terminated Rolfe the following day and would later announce warrants against the officer, including felony murder, aggravated assault, and violation charges. However, less than a year later, authorities overturned the decision in May 2021 after a board review determined the city did not follow the proper procedures in disciplining the officer, who had been in the force for six years.
A warrant against Brosnan included charges of aggravated assault and violating his oath.
The Atlanta Police Department said it respects the special prosecutor’s decision in the case and has faith in criminal justice system.
&#8220;Both Officer Garrett Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan are still employed with APD,&#8221; the department said, according to <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/breaking-no-charges-for-apd-officers-in-fatal-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks/KDDYTQKCCNF6HMH2ZRVHFKJEK4/">The Atlanta Journal Constitution</a>. &#8220;They are currently on administrative duty. Both officers will undergo Georgia P.O.S.T. recertification and training.&#8221;
Brooks&#8217; death came amid ongoing violent riots and protests that raged across the United States by Antifa agitators and some Black Lives Matter activists over the death of George Floyd, who was killed a few weeks before by Minneapolis police officers.
Just 24 hours after the two Atlanta policemen killed Brooks, rioters burned down the Wendy&#8217;s restaurant where the incident occurred.
&#8220;Black lives do matter,&#8221; Skandalakis said during a press conference, according to Daily Mail. &#8220;I&#8217;ve spent my entire career representing black victims of crime. I understand that the encounters between police and the African American community at times are very volatile. But I would ask them to look at the facts of this case, and this isn&#8217;t one of those cases.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a case in which the officers were willing to give Mr. Brooks every benefit of the doubt, and unfortunately, by his actions, this is what happened,&#8221; he added.

US-POLICE-RACISM-SHOOTING-POLITICS

Charges Dropped Against Atlanta Officers In Rayshard Brooks Shooting

Defund The Police

Police

The parents of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner, who was allegedly killed by anti-police protesters last summer in Atlanta, Georgia, are seeking accountability via a lawsuit that targets Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other city officials.
Armed activists protesting the fatal police shooting of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">Rayshard Brooks</a> reportedly shot Turner dead on July 4 when the vehicle she was in veered around their makeshift barricade.
According to the family&#8217;s legal team, city officials including Mayor Bottoms &#8220;were negligent in their duties by failing to remove armed vigilantes who had gathered alongside peaceful protesters at the Wendy’s where Brooks was shot and killed,&#8221; <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-family-of-8-year-old-secoriea-turner-suing-city-mayor-in-childs-death/7FOIMH5E5RE4JFY3BWPYJNF6UM/">according</a> to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).
Along with Bottoms, the suit names Atlanta police Chief Rodney Bryant, City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd, and Wendy’s International.
The burned-out Wendy&#8217;s restaurant was demolished by a wrecking crew on July 14, ten days after the eight-year-old was allegedly fatally shot by armed protesters, a report from the AJC noted, adding that &#8220;Bottoms said she planned to shut down the site weeks before the fatal shooting.&#8221;
&#8220;At that time, the mayor said she was allowing Sheperd more time to negotiate with demonstrators at the site,&#8221; the report outlined. &#8220;The complaint alleges that in allowing that action, Bottoms, Sheperd and the police chief failed to protect Atlanta’s residents and &#8216;directly and proximately led to Secoriea’s death, which was foreseeable and avoidable.'&#8221;
“By agreeing to allow Councilmember Sheperd more time to negotiate with armed civilians who had commandeered the area surrounding 125 University Avenue SW, and by ordering APD officers to stand down and refrain from proactive policing and by standing by and letting vigilantism disrupt the streets, Mayor Bottoms and Interim Chief Bryant failed to carry out their duties in protecting the health and safety of the affected community,&#8221; the complaint reads.
“We are forced to live through this day by day,” said Charmaine Turner, the child&#8217;s mother. “We deserve justice. Someone needs to be held accountable.”
Sheperd said the child&#8217;s death &#8220;still resonates with me, within the community and city at large,&#8221; AJC reported.
“My heart is with the family and those who have been impacted by this loss. In the wake of the tragedy, I am aware of the lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of the family,&#8221; read a statement from Shepard. &#8220;I have been in contact with our law department and will not be making any official statements related to the lawsuit.”
A spokesperson for the mayor&#8217;s office called the death of the eight-year-old &#8220;a result of senseless gun violence.&#8221;
“The murder of Secoriea Turner, as a result of senseless gun violence, is a tragedy that no family should have to endure,” the spokesperson said. “Due to the anticipated litigation, the City will offer no further comment at this time.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-city-of-atlanta-reinstates-police-officer-fired-last-summer-after-shooting-rayshard-brooks">City Of Atlanta Reinstates Police Officer Fired Last Summer After Shooting Rayshard Brooks</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">WATCH: Police Body Cam Footage Challenges Narrative On Death Of Rayshard Brooks</a>

Protests Continue In Atlanta After Police Killing Of Rayshard Brooks

Family Of Girl Allegedly Killed By Rayshard Brooks Protesters Sue Democrat Mayor: Leaders Allowed ‘Armed Vigilantes,’ Rioting  

Democratic Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms seemed to suggest Wednesday that it was the right decision to bypass Officer Garrett Rolfe&#8217;s right to due process to avoid more rioting.
The City of Atlanta’s Civil Service Board on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/due-process-matters-lawyer-for-officer-in-rayshard-brooks-case-responds-to-client-being-reinstated">decided</a> to reinstate Rolfe, who was fired days after the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks, citing the violation of Rolfe&#8217;s right to due process.
Reacting to the decision, Lance Bottoms referenced the &#8220;volatile&#8221; state of the city of Atlanta at the time Rolfe was fired. Notably, Black Lives Matter demonstrators and other left-wing activists destroyed liberal cities across the nation while protesting and rioting over the deaths of George Floyd and Brooks.
“Given the volatile state of our city and nation last summer, the decision to terminate this officer, after he fatally shot Mr. Brooks in the back, was the right thing to do,&#8221; Lance Bottoms said in a statement issued Wednesday.
&#8220;Had immediate action not been taken, I firmly believe that the public safety crisis we experienced during that time would have been significantly worse,&#8221; she added.
The mayor&#8217;s statement seems to suggest that the improper firing of Rolfe, who had his due process rights violated, was the &#8220;right&#8221; move so that rioters would be appeased, or at least not upset further.
Notably, Rolfe already filed a lawsuit against Bottoms and interim police Chief Rodney Bryant in August, claiming, in part, that his right to due process was violated.
In the suit, Rolfe said he was fired &#8220;without an investigation, without proper notice, without a pre-disciplinary hearing, and in direct violation of the municipal code of the city of Atlanta,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-atlanta-officer-charged-rayshard-brooks-death-sues-over-firing-n1235933">reported</a> at the time.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/due-process-matters-lawyer-for-officer-in-rayshard-brooks-case-responds-to-client-being-reinstated">The Daily Wire</a>, Rolfe attorney Lance LoRusso said in a statement Wednesday, “We are very excited that the Civil Board says that due process matters.&#8221;
LoRusso added that his client’s “reinstatement will likely take some time, but he intended to get his client back to work,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/05/us/atlanta-former-officer-garrett-rolfe-reinstated/index.html">according</a> to CNN.
Rolfe was hit with felony charges in the death of Brooks a week after the fatal shooting took place in a Wendy’s parking lot. The reinstated officer is currently facing 11 counts, including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
<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 back in June:
<blockquote>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’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.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-atlanta-detective-sides-with-officer-in-defense-filing-for-rayshard-brooks-case-says-brooks-wouldve-been-charged-on-10-counts">READ IT: Atlanta Detective Sides With Officer In Defense Filing For Rayshard Brooks Case, Says Brooks Would’ve Been Charged On 10 Counts</a>

Democrat Mayor Seems To Suggest It Was ‘Right’ To Violate Officer Rolfe’s Due Process To Avoid More BLM Rioting

A lawyer for Police Officer Garrett Rolfe said Wednesday that the City of Atlanta’s Civil Service Board&#8217;s decision to reinstate his client was the right move, sending the message that &#8220;due process matters.&#8221;
Rolfe was terminated nearly immediately following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks last summer. The Civil Board <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-city-of-atlanta-reinstates-police-officer-fired-last-summer-after-shooting-rayshard-brooks">decided</a> Tuesday that the officer was indeed denied his right to due process.
&#8220;We are very excited that the Civil Board says that due process matters,&#8221; attorney Lance LoRusso said in a statement, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/05/us/atlanta-former-officer-garrett-rolfe-reinstated/index.html">according</a> to CNN.
LoRusso added that his client&#8217;s &#8220;reinstatement will likely take some time, but he intended to get his client back to work.&#8221;
&#8220;Due to the City’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony, the Board concludes the Appellant was not afforded his right to due process,&#8221; the board <a href="https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/51084/637558016777502482">said</a>. &#8220;Therefore, the Board GRANTS the Appeal of Garrett Rolfe and revokes his dismissal as an employee of the APD.&#8221;
Rolfe was hit with felony charges in the death of Brooks a week after the fatal shooting took place in a Wendy&#8217;s parking lot. The reinstated officer is currently facing 11 counts, including felony murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
<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 back in June:
<blockquote>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’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.</blockquote>
Following the reinstatement, the Atlanta Police Department emphasized that the board &#8220;did not make a determination as to whether officer Rolfe violated Atlanta Police Department policies.&#8221;
&#8220;It is important to note that the CSB did not make a determination as to whether officer Rolfe violated Atlanta Police Department policies,&#8221; the department said in a statement. &#8220;In light of the CSB&#8217;s rulings, APD will conduct an assessment to determine if additional investigative actions are needed.&#8221;
Back in June, Atlanta Police Department homicide detective assigned to the Brooks case, Al Hogan, sided with Rolfe in a defense filing, noting that he would have brought 10 charges against Brooks had he survived the incident.
“Atlanta PD detective assigned to the [Rayshard Brooks] investigation says he would have charged Brooks — not Rolfe — with 10 counts, including multiple felonies,” posted legal analyst Philip Holloway. Captioning a screenshot of Hogan’s letter, Holloway noted: “Usually law enforcement are witnesses for the state but this is from a defense filing.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
READ IT: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlantaPD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtlantaPD</a> detective assigned to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RayshardBrooks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RayshardBrooks</a> investigation says he would have charged Brooks &#8211; not Rolfe &#8211; with 10 counts, including multiple felonies. Usually law enforcement are witnesses for the state but this is from a defense filing. <a href="https://t.co/huj903b7Tu">pic.twitter.com/huj903b7Tu</a>
&mdash; Philip Holloway 😊 (@PhilHollowayEsq) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilHollowayEsq/status/1277746072060821504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-atlanta-detective-sides-with-officer-in-defense-filing-for-rayshard-brooks-case-says-brooks-wouldve-been-charged-on-10-counts">READ IT: Atlanta Detective Sides With Officer In Defense Filing For Rayshard Brooks Case, Says Brooks Would’ve Been Charged On 10 Counts</a>

Garrett Rolfe

‘Due Process Matters’: Lawyer For Officer In Rayshard Brooks Case Responds To Client Being Reinstated 

The City of Atlanta&#8217;s Civil Service Board announced on Tuesday morning that it has reinstated police officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks last summer, because the city failed to give Rolfe his right to due process.
The board released its decision Wednesday, <a href="https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/51084/637558016777502482">writing</a>:
<blockquote>Due to the City’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony, the Board concludes the Appellant was not afforded his right to due process. Therefore, the Board GRANTS the Appeal of Garrett Rolfe and revokes his dismissal as an employee of the APD.</blockquote>
Rolfe shot and killed Brooks in the parking lot of a Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, last June after Brooks attacked Rolfe and another police officer who were attempting to take him into custody.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">reported</a> at the time:
<blockquote>Police were called to a Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, because Brooks, 27, had fallen asleep behind the wheel of a car while in the drive-through, which was disrupting the movement of vehicles that were in line. The interaction between the police and Brooks was mostly calm until the attempted arrest following his breathalyzer, which showed that he was driving while drunk.</blockquote>
Videos from the incident “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> at the time. “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.”
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/us/videos-rayshard-brooks-shooting-atlanta-police.html">reported</a> at the time Brooks was shot by the police officer who was chasing him after Brooks “looks behind him, points the Taser he is holding in Officer Rolfe’s direction, and fires it.”
The Daily Wire added:
<blockquote>Despite this information, many in the media and <a href="http://archive.is/eRHkv" rel="noopener">Democrat Party</a> have claimed that Brooks was “<a href="http://archive.is/qvdIR">murdered</a>” while he was “<a href="http://archive.is/LXT5r">complying</a>” with the police officers and was being “<a href="http://archive.is/MHP1M">cooperative</a>.” They have also claimed that Brooks had just fallen “<a href="http://archive.is/9dbo3">asleep in</a>” the car and was “<a href="http://archive.is/o9PDO">not drivin[g]</a>” and that he was “<a href="http://archive.is/1BPfQ">running for his life</a>” because the police were the ones who “<a href="http://archive.is/IxbY0">had to escalate it</a>.”
Such claims are disputed by the body camera footage that was released by the Atlanta Police Department, which shows that the interaction that the officers and Brooks had was mostly respectful up until the moment the officers tried to place him under arrest for drunk driving, at which time Brooks tried to run, got into a psychical altercation with the officers, took one of their tasers, began running, and then fired the taser at one of the officers who was in pursuit.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" 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; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.

City Of Atlanta Reinstates Police Officer Fired Last Summer After Shooting Rayshard Brooks

Georgia voters have booted Paul Howard, the embattled Fulton County district attorney who charged the police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks with murder, from office by a shocking margin.
Howard is the subject of two Georgia Bureau of Investigation probes – one into his handling of the Rayshard Brooks incident, and one into whether he redirected grant money from the city of Atlanta, meant to be used by community non-profits, into his own pocket. The GBI is reportedly also considering several other investigations.
Howard made national headlines back in June when he charged an Atlanta police officer, Garrett Rolfe, with murder (as well as ten other crimes) in the death of Rayshard Brooks. Brooks had fallen asleep in a Wendy&#8217;s drive-thru and, after an extended interaction, threatened officers with a taser. Rolfe shot Brooks, according to reports, killing him.
Rolfe contended, in a statement issued through his attorneys, that Brooks was displaying aggressive behavior, had stolen the taser from one of the officers, and pointed a weapon in Rolfe’s direction. Howard, in his own statement accompanying the murder charges, says Brooks did not display aggressive behavior in, at least, the 41-minute interaction leading up to the tussle over the taser.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation had already assumed responsibility for investigating the officer-involved shooting, but Howard went ahead with charges anyway.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/criminal-investigation-expanded-into-district-attorney-who-charged-officers-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting">The Daily Wire reported</a> back in July, the GBI quickly instituted their own investigation into Howard&#8217;s decision.
&#8220;Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has asked the GBI to expand the scope of its current investigation regarding Howard after Carr learned about subpoenas Howard’s office issued regarding Officer Garrett Rolfe and the use of force against Brooks, whom Rolfe shot after he resisted arrest and fired a taser at him during a DUI arrest,&#8221; Daily Wire noted.
Those subpoenas, the Attorney General contends, were issued while grand jury deliberations were suspended over concerns about coronavirus, and issuing subpoenas while a grand jury is knowingly out of operation could constitute an ethical – or even a criminal – violation.
In addition, <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/paul-howard-ousted-after-serving-more-than-2-decades-as-fulton-county-da">Atlanta&#8217;s Fox affiliate reports</a>, Howard is under investigation for his use of non-profit grant money.
“Howard recently came under fire after the FOX 5 I-Team uncovered the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was looking into allegations that Howard used grant money from the City of Atlanta to nonprofits under his control,&#8221; the outlet said. &#8220;One of those non-profits paid Howard at least $140,000 in city grant money. He agreed to pay a $6,500 state ethics fine for failing to disclose his role as a CEO for two non-profits.&#8221;
In addition, there may be other investigations against Howard pending, including one involving a sexual harassment allegation.
It&#8217;s not clear what Howard&#8217;s loss means to the Rayshard Brooks case. That decision will likely be left up to Fani Willis, who defeated Howard by a shocking forty-five points to become the new Fulton County DA.

George Howard

Georgia Voters Boot Fulton County DA Who Charged Officer With Murder In Rayshard Brooks Case

Georgia

The stepmother of former Atlanta Police officer Garrett Rolfe, who was fired and charged in the death of Rayshard Brooks, claimed in June that she was fired from her company because of the incident. The company, however, has filed a lawsuit against her alleging that an entirely different set of circumstances led to her termination at the company.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson first <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">reported</a> on Melissa Rolfe&#8217;s termination from Equity Prime Mortgage (EPM) in Atlanta back in June. The company released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-that-terminated-stepmother-of-atlanta-police-officer-releases-new-statement-on-her-termination">statement</a> the next day that strongly disputed what had been reported.
“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;” Carlson said. “No other explanation was offered and honestly no other explanation was needed. It was obvious what happened.”
Melissa Rolfe appeared on Carlson&#8217;s show several days later where she claimed that the firing was &#8220;a political move.&#8221;
&#8220;When I would speak with my direct manager and with the president, I was being assured that everything was fine in the office, continually through the phone calls and text messages that I was receiving,&#8221; Rolfe said. &#8220;Everything&#8217;s fine. My job was fine. Don&#8217;t worry about it. We&#8217;re not getting any negative feedback. So I was very surprised at how I was able to create a hostile work environment. I hadn&#8217;t been back.&#8221;
EPM filed a lawsuit against Melissa Rolfe on Wednesday, alleging that she made false statements about the company. The lawsuit also lists a Republican congressional candidate in the state.
“We were targeted with death threats, hate mail, and a boycott because of a national media firestorm based on statements by Marjorie Greene&#8217;s campaign and Melissa Rolfe,&#8221; Equity Prime Mortgage CEO Eddy Perez said in a statement. &#8220;We are committed to setting the record straight and defending our good name.&#8221;
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County, claims that Melissa Rolfe &#8220;repeatedly violated company policy and created an uncomfortable and hostile working environment.&#8221;
&#8220;Although Rolfe had been repeatedly reprimanded and was notified—the day before her stepson shot Rayshard Brooks—that she was under investigation because of multiple complaints against her, she joined forces with Marjorie Taylor Greene and her Congressional campaign to launch a national media firestorm, which included televised appearances on The Glenn Beck Program and Tucker Carlson Tonight, social media posts, and speeches, all to peddle the false narrative that Rolfe had done nothing wrong and that EPM had fired her for fighting for her stepson and being his stepmom,&#8221; the lawsuit alleges. &#8220;The smear campaign mobilized a furious social media mob and prompted death threats, a boycott, and enormous reputational and financial harm to EPM.&#8221;
The company outlined the following accusations against Melissa Rolfe:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>In January 2020, Melissa Rolfe submitted her resume to be EPM’s HR Director. To secure employment at EPM, Rolfe boasted on her resume that she had a B.S. in Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University, a SHRM-CP certification, and more than 15 years of dedication and significant experience managing a full spectrum of human resources programs and functions. &#8230; After Rolfe was hired, certain people at EPM learned that Rolfe was working toward a bachelor’s degree but did not actually have one yet as her resume represented. &#8230; In addition, an EPM employee who had previously worked with Rolfe at Rehabilitation Physicians of Georgia reported that Rolfe had been a “Medical Assistant” there — not an “HR Director” as her resume represented. That person further reported contacting Rolfe’s previous employers and discovering that she had falsified other information as well.</li>
<li>Less than a month after she had been hired by EPM, on March 19, 2020, Rolfe was reprimanded because she had made inappropriate jokes via text message about conducting rectal temperature checks in the office.</li>
<li>About a month later, on April 23, 2020, Rolfe was reprimanded again, this time for referring to employees as “savages.”</li>
<li>Less than two months later, two employees reported Rolfe for calling employees “f***ing bitches,” saying an employee had only been hired because she had “big boobs,” and making racist comments.</li>
<li>So, on June 11, 2020—the day before Rolfe’s stepson shot Rayshard Brooks — EPM CEO Eddy Perez met with Rolfe to notify her of the latest complaints against her. Upon hearing she had been accused of making racist comments—and before Perez had brought up Rolfe’s inappropriate remark about an employee’s “big boobs”—Rolfe became enraged, saying that she doesn’t see color, but that some people are “idiots.” Because of how upset Rolfe had become, Perez cut the meeting short and told her that he would follow up with her after investigating more.</li>
<li>The next day, Friday, June 12, 2020, Rolfe’s stepson shot Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot of an Atlanta Wendy’s, prompting Rolfe to ask to work from home the following Monday. Although Rolfe was under investigation for serious misconduct, the company nevertheless granted Rolfe eight weeks of paid leave in light of her family situation, while it simultaneously continued its investigation. During the investigation, a flood of employees came forward and reported other instances of Rolfe’s wildly unprofessional and hostile conduct, including:
<ul>
<li>Rolfe told an employee that another employee was a “dumb b***h” and that the only reason a man would be interested in her was because she “must suck d*** really good.”</li>
<li>Rolfe told a Black woman who dates Black men that she needed “to get outside the box and upgrade [her] standards.”</li>
<li>In response to an employee saying she liked her coffee like she liked her men, Black and strong, Rolfe responded, “Black and weak. Don’t no woman want a weak man.”</li>
<li>Rolfe remarked that an employee wore “little girl ruffle panties.”</li>
<li>Rolfe shouted at and berated employees, including by using the following language: “stupid b***hes,” “dingbats,” “tell that b***h to get a f***in’ name tag,” “this is bulls**t and stupid s**t,” and “who f***ed up.”</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
The company says that after &#8220;learning&#8221; about all of these allegations, they moved to terminate Melissa Rolfe on June 18, 2020. The company said, &#8220;Notably, when Rolfe was informed that she was being terminated, she did not ask why; she knew that she had been repeatedly reprimanded and that—before her stepson shot Brooks—the company had begun an investigation into multiple complaints against her.&#8221;
The lawsuit states that they company is suing for &#8220;defamation&#8221; and &#8220;false light invasion of privacy.&#8221;

Stepmom Of Cop Charged In Atlanta Said She Was Fired Over It. The Company Just Released Their Side Of The Story.

Former Atlanta Police Department officer Garrett Rolfe filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Democrat Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and interim police Chief Rodney Bryant this week to get his job back, saying that his firing was unconstitutional.
Rolfe filed the suit on Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court after he was fired earlier this summer and charged with 11 counts, including felony murder, in the death of Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy&#8217;s restaurant back in June.
His lawsuit states that his use of force against Brooks, who fired a taser at Rolfe as he ran away from police, &#8220;was proper and in compliance with Georgia law.&#8221;
The lawsuit says that Rolfe was terminated &#8220;without an investigation, without proper notice, without a pre-disciplinary hearing, and in direct violation of the municipal code of the city of Atlanta.&#8221;
Rolfe noted in the lawsuit that the other officer involved, Devin Brosnan, was not fired and was instead placed on administration leave, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-atlanta-officer-charged-rayshard-brooks-death-sues-over-firing-n1235933">NBC News</a>.
&#8220;Many other city of Atlanta police officers who have been charged with crimes, including felonies, have remained employed during the investigation and pendency of their criminal charges,&#8221; the lawsuit said.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul 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">said</a> that the reason that Rolfe was charged was because Brooks “did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers.”
Yet, a couple of weeks earlier, Howard charged a police officer “for pointing a taser” at someone because a taser was considered to be a “deadly weapon” under Georgia law.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) <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> after Howard&#8217;s announcement of the charges that they were never consulted about the charges and that the investigation was not over.
“The GBI was not aware of today’s press conference before it was conducted,” GBI added. “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.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/criminal-investigation-expanded-into-district-attorney-who-charged-officers-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting">The GBI is currently investigating Howard</a> over the subpoena&#8217;s Howard&#8217;s office issued in the case regarding Rolfe.
Howard issued grand jury subpoenas directing the Atlanta Police Department to turn over its “open investigation regarding Garrett Rolfe and the use of force incident.” Fox 5 Atlanta <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/exclusive-gbi-probe-of-fulton-county-da-paul-howard-widens">reports</a>:
<blockquote>The subpoena required that the documents be turned over for the “Grand Jury, June/July term on the of 14th day of July.” Other grand jury subpoenas were issued for phone and surveillance camera videos.</blockquote>
The grand jury subpoenas were reportedly issued while the grand jury was suspended. The grand jury “had been suspended on March 13 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The issuing of grand jury subpoenas while there is no grand jury could be “an ethical or possibly criminal issue,” according to legal experts who spoke with Fox 5.
Gable Cino, who is a law professor that specializes in prosecutorial misconduct, told the outlet, “It would be a violation of criminal law to make a knowingly false statement or misrepresentation in the subpoena which is a document that has been issued.”

Officer Charged In Rayshard Brooks Shooting Takes Action Against Democrat Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Police Chief

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Defund the Police

Murders, Gun Violence Increased In These 6 Major Cities As ‘Defund The Police’ Went Mainstream

Breonna Taylor

Law Enforcement

Race

President Trump called on police to push back against “Radical Left politicians” amid a wave of anti-police sentiment among local leaders in some of the largest cities in the United States.
Trump accused local Democratic politicians of treating police officers “so badly” and “disrespectfully” on Monday morning. Local police budgets have been in the crosshairs of city officials in recent weeks as anti-police activists have gained momentum on a wave of racial justice protests.
“Never in history have Police been treated so badly as they are in Democrat run cities — and these cities are a mess. Police must take a stronger stand with the Radical Left politicians that are treating them so badly, and so disrespectfully!!!” Trump tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Never in history have Police been treated so badly as they are in Democrat run cities &#8211; and these cities are a mess. Police must take a stronger stand with the Radical Left politicians that are treating them so badly, and so disrespectfully!!!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1282647375257964544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
City officials in places such as Minneapolis, New York City, and Los Angeles have taken steps to cut funding to or abolish their respective police forces after outcry over the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in police custody on Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Cell phone video captured Chauvin’s treatment of Floyd and sparked massive protests across much of the United States and spread internationally. In many places in the U.S., the protests devolved into violent riots that ravaged local communities and businesses as looters, arsonists, and assailants terrorized residents.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-denies-federal-aid-request-from-minnesota-after-democrat-governor-mayor-fail-to-stop-damage-report-says">denied</a> a request from Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for $500 million in federal aid to rebuild communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul that were destroyed by rioters. Much of the damage to Minneapolis, the epicenter of national unrest, occurred after Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuate-the-3rd-precinct-rioters-destroy-minneapolis-police-building-170-businesses">ordered</a> police to abandon a precinct that was subsequently razed by rioters.
The Minneapolis City Council has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-unanimously-passes-resolution-to-replace-police-department-with-community-led-public-safety-system">voted</a> to allow for the defunding of its police department and replace it with a “community-led public safety system.” Democratic mayors in cities such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/la-officials-push-to-cut-police-budget-by-up-to-150m-after-riots">Los Angeles</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-announces-proposal-to-slash-nypd-budget-by-1-billion-divert-cash-to-young-people">New York City</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/majority-of-seattle-city-council-now-wants-police-funding-cut-in-half">Seattle</a> are backing substantial budget cuts to their respective police departments to funnel more money into social programs targeting minority communities.
Washington state schools have begun severing ties with local police departments that have stationed school resource officers on the campuses for security. The school board president of the Edmonds school district, Deborah Kilgore, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-are-a-real-risk-washington-school-district-severs-ties-with-law-enforcement">said</a> last month that “police are a real risk to many of our students and they contribute to stress and bad health for hundreds of children.”
The actions taken against police in the wake of Floyd’s death along with rhetoric from local officials has contributed to plummeting morale among police officers, who are retiring from departments in major cities in increasing numbers. Between June 29 and July 8, New York City police officers <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/08/nypd-limits-retirement-applications-amid-411-surge-this-week/">retired</a> at a rate 411% higher than the same time period last year. So many officers are filing for retirement that the department has placed a limit on daily applicants to keep from overloading processing.
In Atlanta, Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms admitted on June 17 that police morale in her city is “down ten-fold” after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged an Atlanta officer with murder in the killing of Rayshard Brooks. The officer shot Brooks after he stole a taser and fired it at the officer. Several days after the incident, Bottoms <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/17/879509659/former-atlanta-police-officer-who-shot-rayshard-brooks-charged-with-felony-murde">said</a> Brooks’ death was “murder.”

Bill de Blasio

Trump Calls On Police To Push Back Against ‘Radical Left’ Democrat Officials

Donald Trump

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has reportedly expanded its criminal investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard as new questions emerge about the grand jury subpoenas Howard&#8217;s office issued in the case involving the death of Rayshard Brooks.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has asked the GBI to expand the scope of its current investigation regarding Howard after Carr learned about subpoenas Howard&#8217;s office issued regarding Officer Garrett Rolfe and the use of force against Brooks, whom Rolfe shot after he resisted arrest and fired a taser at him during a DUI arrest.
Howard issued grand jury subpoenas directing the Atlanta Police Department to turn over its “open investigation regarding Garrett Rolfe and the use of force incident.” Fox 5 Atlanta <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/exclusive-gbi-probe-of-fulton-county-da-paul-howard-widens">reports</a>:
<blockquote>The subpoena required that the documents be turned over for the &#8220;Grand Jury, June/July term on the of 14th day of July.&#8221; Other grand jury subpoenas were issued for phone and surveillance camera videos.</blockquote>
Fox 5  notes, however, that these grand jury subpoenas were issued while the grand jury was suspended. The grand jury &#8220;had been suspended on March 13 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.&#8221;
The issuing of grand jury subpoenas while there is no grand jury could be &#8220;an ethical or possibly criminal issue,&#8221; according to legal experts who spoke with the Fox 5.
Gable Cino, who is a law professor that specializes in prosecutorial misconduct, told the outlet, “It would be a violation of criminal law to make a knowingly false statement or misrepresentation in the subpoena which is a document that has been issued.”
GBI Director Vic Reynolds said that the department was aware of the matter and apparently is looking into it.
GBI was already investigating Howard earlier this year over a &#8220;mysterious salary supplement negotiated between Howard and then Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed&#8221; that directed $250,000 over a a 3-year period into a non-profit that was run by the DA&#8217;s office, Fox 5 reports. Howard allegedly took $140,000 from those funds to supplement his own salary.
Howard&#8217;s name gained national attention after he charged Rolfe with felony murder in the case of Rayshard Brooks.
The Atlanta Police Department was called to a Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, because Brooks, 27, had fallen asleep behind the wheel of a car while in the drive-thru, which blocked the movement of vehicles in line. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-body-cam-footage-challenges-narrative-on-death-of-rayshard-brooks">interaction</a> between the police and Brooks was mostly calm until the attempted arrest following his breathalyzer, which showed that he was driving while drunk.
When the officers began to arrest Brooks, he resisted arrest, assaulted the officers, and took one of their tasers. Rolfe pursued Brooks, who then fired the taser he had taken in Rolfe&#8217;s direction, who responded by shooting and killing Brooks.
In explaining the charges against 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.”
A couple of weeks earlier, however, 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">stated at a press conference</a> that a taser was considered to be a “deadly weapon” under Georgia law.

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