Officers Named, Body Cam Footage Released In Rayshard Brooks Case

ATLANTA, GA — An Atlanta police officer was fired and another put on leave after their involvement with the death of a black man, who was shot by police Friday when he resisted arrest after failing a field sobriety test at a Wendy's drive through.

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in 2013, was fired, and Officer Devin Bronsan, who was hired in 2018, was placed on administration leave Saturday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Hours earlier, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned as calls for her firing built.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Shields offered her resignation, which she accepted. The city will launch a search for a new police chief. Former Assistant Police Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as the interim police chief.

In a statement Shields, who has been with the department more than two decades, said she offered to step aside as chief.

"APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department," Shields said. "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 Fulton County district attorney has launched an independent investigation following the death of Rayshard Brooks, 27, of Atlanta. Witnesses said Brooks struggled with police over a Taser, ran from officers and was shot.

GBI Director Vic Reynolds said at a news conference Saturday that video showed Brooks grabbed an officer's Taser, ran a few feet away and then pointed it at officers before they fired, WSB TV said.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Atlanta Police Department was called to the Wendy's restaurant at 125 University Ave. around 10:30 p.m. Friday for a complaint of a man in a vehicle parked in the drive-thru who was asleep, causing customers to drive around the vehicle.

The man, later identified as Brooks, failed a field sobriety test with a blood alcohol content of 0.108, and officers attempted to place him in custody, according to the GBI. But he resisted and a struggle ensued, leading the officer to use a Taser.

An earlier account of the incident was based on the officer's body cam, which was knocked off during the physical struggle, preventing the capture of the entire shooting incident, the GBI said.

The GBI said witnesses saw Brooks grab the Taser away from the officer.

"It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser," the GBI said in a statement.

Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after surgery, the statement said.

The Downtown Connector at Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 at University Avenue was shut down both north and south for about an hour Saturday night as protestors made their way onto the road.

The interstate was eventually cleared, and protesting continued at the Wendy's where Brooks was shot the night before. Windows were broken in the restaurant and the drive-thru was set ablaze, which then set the entire restaurant on fire.

Atlanta police told the Associated Press that 36 people were arrested at protests as of midnight.

Brooks, a father of three girls and a stepson, celebrated his daughter's 8th birthday on Friday before he was killed, WSB reported.

The family has hired attorney L. Chris Stewart to represent them.

“You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement," Stewart said in an AP news release. “You can’t say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it’s some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.”

The incident is currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which upon completion was to be turned over to the Fulton County district attorney.

However, District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. issued a statement Saturday, confirming his office has already launched an "intense" investigation into the incident.

"Officers were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident," the statement reads.

On Sunday, Howard said in a second statement that members of his staff witnessed the autopsy of Brooks as part of their continued investigation.

"Because this is a homicide investigation, there are several technical requirements that must be met before we are able to reach a decision," the statement said. "That includes the confirmation of the ballistics involved and obtaining a preliminary report from the medical examiner.

"Additionally, my office received a referral from a local attorney who provided the names of two other witnesses who my office is working to speak with before making a decision."

Howard said his department is experiencing difficulty in obtaining all the body cam and dash cam footage from the Atlanta Police Department.

"We are working around the clock to bring this investigation to a conclusion, and it is my hope to be able to announce our decision midweek," Howard said.

The district attorney's office is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to call the Fulton County District Attorney's Office Tip Line at 404-612-4903. Any information, photos or videos of the incident can be sent to donald.hannah@fultoncountyga.gov.

Additionally, Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta is offering a $10,000 reward for information on who started the fire at Wendy's Saturday night, Atlanta Police released on Facebook. The information will lead to the arrest and indictment of the individuals responsible for starting the fire.

Anyone with information can provide an anonymous tip and be eligible for the reward money by calling 404-577-TIPS (8477) or submitting information online.

Patch Editors Megan VerHelst, Andrea V. Watson and Deb Belt contributed to this story.

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