Atlanta Police Officers Call Out Sick After 2 Charged

ATLANTA, GA — Reports of Atlanta police officers either walking off the job or calling in sick Wednesay night in protest after two officers were charged in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks have the city on alert.

The Associated Press said the police department tweeted that it is experiencing a higher than usual number of officers calling out for their shifts but that, “We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.”

Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate, the department said, but acknowledged that it is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on CNN that many of the department's partners had been notified just in case they needed to call others in but that “we are fine” (tonight) and that the true test would be on Thursday.

“If we have officers that don’t want bad officers weeded out the force then that’s another conversation we need to have,” Bottoms said.

The number of officers involved in Wednesday night's action hasn't been confirmed.

Vince Champion, Southeast regional director for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, told the AJC he could not confirm which police zones were affected.

“There are officers walking off," Champion told the AJC Wednesday night. "There are officers saying they are not going to leave the precinct unless to help another officer. Some are walking offand sitting in their personal vehicles."

Related: Rayshard Brooks: Ex-Officer Faces Murder Charge, Death Penalty

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for former Officer Garrett Rolfe or Officer Devin Brosnan. Rolfe faces 11 charges including felony murder and aggravated assault for shooting Brooks as he ran after a fight with officers. The prosecutor said Rolfe kicked Brooks as he lay dying in a Wendy's parking lot.

Brosnan, who is a cooperating witness for the state, faces three charges including aggravated assault and violation of oath. He stood on Brooks' shoulders while Brooks was lying on the ground, Howard said.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.