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A specially appointed prosecutor announced Tuesday that charges will not be pursued against two Atlanta police officers involved in the 2020 fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, said he believes Officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot and killed Brooks in June 2020, acted appropriately. He also said the second officer involved in the encounter, Officer Devin Brosnan, will not be charged.
"Given the quickly changing circumstances, was it objectively reasonable that he used deadly force and we conclude it was," Skandalakis said.
The incident in question took place on June 12, 2020, when police officers responded to complaints of a man sleeping in his car in the drive-thru lane of an Atlanta Wendy’s.
RAYSHARD BROOKS SHOOTING: FIRING OF ATLANTA POLICE OFFICER WHO PULLED TRIGGER IS REVERSED
Rayshard Brooks, right, speaks with Officer Garrett Rolfe, left, in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant, in Atlanta, on June 12, 2020. ( (AP/Atlanta Police Department))
Police body cam footage shows officers talking to Brooks for roughly 40 minutes as he tells them he’s been drinking too much to be driving.
After smelling alcohol on his breath, Brosnan called for a certified DUI officer to come to the scene, which was Rolfe. After failing the breathalyzer test, Brooks tried to flee as he was being arrested. Brosnan reportedly slammed his head into the pavement during the ensuing struggle and suffered a concussion.
Brooks stole a taser from one of the officers during the skirmish and attempted to fire it at Rolfe's direction as he ran. Rolfe fired three shots at Brooks as he fled, hitting him twice.
Skandalakis was appointed last year to take over the case after a judge allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to recuse herself and her office. Willis had cited concerns about the actions of her predecessor, who announced a murder charge against Rolfe less than a week after the shooting.
The timing of the shooting, just weeks after the death of George Floyd while in police custody, caused nationwide outrage with Black Lives Matter activists suggesting that race played a role in the interaction between white officers and Brooks, a black man.
This screen grab taken from dashboard camera video provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Rayshard Brooks, center, struggling with Officers ((Atlanta Police Department via AP))
"We have faith in the criminal justice system, and we respect the special prosecutor’s decision in this case," the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement on Tuesday following the decision.
"Both Officer Garrett Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan are still employed with APD," the statement added. "They are currently on administrative duty. Both officers will undergo Georgia P.O.S.T. recertification and training."
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Associated Press contributed to this report
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