Ex-officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot and killed a black man who was sleeping in his car at a Wendy's parking lot, is finally arrested. He is now facing 11 charges.
Police brutality
According to DA Paul Howard, Rolfe fired three shots at Rayshard Brooks, two of the bullets hit Brooks in the back and one hit a car with three people inside.
After the ex-officer shot Brooks, he was heard saying "I got him" before he kicked the victim who fell to the ground and who was struggling for his life. Rolfe did not give Brooks first aid and proceeded to beat him up even after he shot him.
Brooks' widow, Tomika Miller, began to cry when she was asked by a reported about the new details of the case that was revealed by the district attorney. She said that she was hurt and she felt everything that Brooks felt after she heard what he went through.
According to the law firm representing the ex-officer, Rolfe reacted the way he did because he thought he heard a gunshot and he saw a flash in front of him.
A statement released by the LoRusso Law Firm says that Rolfe feared for his safety and the safety of the people around him. The statement read that Rolfe dropped his taser and fired his weapon at the option of Brooks that was present to him, which is why he shot Brooks at the back.
The lawyers of Rolfe said that the ex-officer called for an ambulance immediately and he began rendering aid to the victim. Rolfe's partner, Devin Brosnan, who was present at the shooting, is now facing an aggravated assault charge for standing on the victim in the parking lot.
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The killing of Brooks on June 12 happened amid the nationwide protests calling for an end to police brutality against black people and systemic racism. Erika Shields, the Atlanta police chief, stepped down in the wake of Brooks' killing.
On June 17, a demonstration took place at the Wendy's branch where Brooks was killed, with hundreds of people gathered and some blocked the road. The said Wendy's chain was burned down.
Brosnan is not a state witness
After his arrest, Howard said that Brosnan has agreed to be a state's witness, but it was immediately disputed by Brosnan's attorney.
Amanda Clark Palmer told CNN's Chris Cuomo in an interview that there is no agreement that Brosnan is going to testify to any hearing. Palmer added that Brosnan does not need a deal because he should not have been charged in the first place.
Palmer said that Brosnan is not a state's witness, he is just a witness. She added that her client should not have been charged with aggravated assault because assault puts somebody in fear of receiving a violent bodily injury, which was not Brosnan's intent.
According to Attorney Don Samuel, Brosnan was not sure who was shooting and he only put his foot on Brooks' arm for 10 seconds to make sure that he could not get access to a weapon. The attorney added that the timeline presented by the district attorney is inaccurate and that the officers gave aid to Brooks after they checked where the victim was shot.
Arrest warrants for both Rolfe and Brosnan were issued on June 18, and Rolfe could face the death penalty if he is convicted with the murder charge.
The 11 charges that Rolfe is facing are felony murder, five counts of aggravated assault, four counts of violation of oath of office, and one count of criminal damage to property. As for Brosnan, he is facing two counts of violation of oath of office.
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