The Fulton County DA’s office has decided to press charges against Officer Rolfe for shooting and killing Mr. Rayshardf Brooks, a man who fought police, stole a taser, and then tried to shoot the officer with it.
Now, cops are apparently walking off the job, feeling abandoned by the city and its leaders. While the situation hasn’t been confirmed by city officials, several reporters on Twitter cite inside sources:
BREAKING NEWS: Georgia police sources tell me only two police precincts are staffed in the entire city of Atlanta. Entire zones of officers are walking off the job. Zones 1,3,5 and 6 have left their posts. Zones walking off the job. #BlueLivesMatter [1]
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 18, 2020 [2]
Fox 5 Atlanta [3]
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has decided to file charges in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks.
At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Fulton County D.A. Paul Howard announced that former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe is facing 11 charges, including felony murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree criminal damage to property, and two counts of violating of his oath as a public officer.
Officer Devin Brosnan has been charged with a count of aggravated assault and two counts of violating his oath of office. He is now cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office as a witness. Howard said it may be the first time ever an Atlanta police officer has testified against a fellow officer in the same department, noting that he was “almost shocked” Brosnan agreed to do so.
If convicted, Rolfe could be sentenced to either life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
The DA is facing major blowback and his move is being called “political,” since he’s now locked in a close election battle.
Important background for those outside of a Georgia scratching your head about why the officers who shot Rayshard Brooks are being charged: the incumbent Democrat DA failed to win his primary outright and is in the middle of a run-off.
This is 100% political.
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) June 17, 2020 [4]
Several accounts on Twitter are stating that officers are walking off the job in large numbers, although such claims have not been confirmed by the city yet:
Just got this email from an Atlanta police officer:
"Atlanta police officers are refusing to answer the radio and walking off of the job. The county can go screw themselves. If you want a society without police we’ll give you one. Let it burn!"
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) June 17, 2020 [5]
My contacts in the Atlanta Police Department inform me that members from evening shift Zone 4 walked off the job shortly followed by Officers in Zone 3 and 6. The good members of the @Atlanta_Police [6] will not stand for @FultonCountyDA [7]’s activism in place of applying the law. https://t.co/PDWZNgFeXb [8]
— Rob O'Donnell (@odonnell_r) June 17, 2020 [9]
Happening in ATL 👇 pic.twitter.com/oErq1uhR86 [10]
— Amy (@MaybeAmes) June 17, 2020 [11]
This piece was written by Missy Crane on June 17, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com [12] and is used by permission.