Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard has criticized the events that led to Rayshard Brooks’ death.
The white officer who killed Brooks, Garret Rolfe, was fired on Saturday and could face murder charges as the District Attorney gets set to make a decision later this week.
27-year-old Brooks was shot and killed after police got a complaint about a man (later identified as Brooks) who parked his car in a fast-food drive-through, asleep.
After resisting arrest following a sobriety test, Brooks engaged in a struggle with the two officers, resulting in him being shot in the back. He was taken to the hospital where he died after surgery. His death was ruled a homicide.
Speaking with CNN on Sunday, June 14, 2020, Howard said:
I thought that it was cordial, he was very cooperative. He answered the questions that the officers asked. He did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable.”
The District Attorney added that it was not the kind of conversation and incident that should have led to someone’s death.
Specifically, Officer Rolfe, whether or not he felt that Mr. Brooks, at the time, presented imminent harm of death or some serious physical injury. Or the alternative is whether or not he fired the shot simply to capture him or some other reason. If that shot was fired for some reason other than to save that officer’s life or to prevent injury to him or others, then that shooting is not justified under the law.”
