Atlanta police shot a black man, who later died, after a struggle in a Wendy's drive-thru on Friday night. The deceased man, who was reportedly shot in the back while fleeing on foot, has been identified as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, reports: “Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 10:33 pm, APD 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. A field sobriety test was performed on the male subject. After failing the test, the officers attempted to place the male subject into custody. During the arrest, the male subject resisted and a struggle ensued. The officer deployed a Taser. Witnesses report that during the struggle the male subject grabbed and was in possession of the Taser. It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser. The male subject was transported to a local hospital where he died after surgery.”
Warning: the videos below are disturbing.
The GBI released additional surveillance video of the incident. Fast forward to 28:32 minutes to view the exchange between Atlanta Police Officers and Rayshard Brooks.
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams denounced the use of deadly force, tweeting, “Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.”
Wrote the Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr.: “Members of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. … Our thoughts and our sympathies are extended to the family of Rayshard Brooks as we must not forget that this investigation is centered upon a loss of life. The Fulton County District Attorney's Office is working diligently to gather all of the necessary information to proceed with this investigation.”
On Saturday morning, a group of protesters demonstrated at the Wendy's where Brooks was killed.
