On Sunday (June 14), news broke that the Atlanta officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s drive-thru was fired from the department.
According to CBS News, former cop Garrett Rolfe, who was let go early Sunday morning, began working for the department in October of 2013. As for Devin Brosnan, another officer at the scene, he was placed on administrative leave.
The news of Rolfe’s firing came a few hours after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. “For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest women and men in the Atlanta Police Department,” Shields said in a statement following the incident. “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.”
She continued, “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.”
The mayor also explained on Saturday (June 13) that she was seeking immediate termination of Rolfe, who was captured striking Brooks three times in the back. “While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do,” Bottoms said. “I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer.”
Following the death of yet another unarmed black man, outraged residents of Atlanta have burned down the Wendy’s where the incident took place. In addition to that, they are also joining together in protests near the location.