ATLANTA _ A group of armed protesters who had occupied the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed have been removed from the area, according to Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta.
Atlanta police on Wednesday removed protesters who had been seen carrying long guns and blocking the area surrounding the University Avenue restaurant, Channel 2 reported.
No details about the removal were released. AJC.com has reached out to police for more specifics.
In an emailed statement Wednesday morning, the Atlanta Police Department said it was "monitoring the situation and plans to coordinate with community leaders and the Wendy's property owner to address security issues and help preserve peace for this community as soon as possible."
Brooks was shot in the parking lot of the Wendy's after fighting with two police officers who were trying to arrest him, AJC.com previously reported. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who fired the deadly shots, has been charged with murder.
The Wendy's has since served as ground zero for protests related to Brooks' death, one of which ended with it being torched. Natalie White, the woman accused of setting the fire, was arrested and charged with arson. She bonded out of jail Wednesday.
Over the weekend, the restaurant again became the scene of violence.
A 24-year-old woman was shot in the leg Friday while she was protesting. The woman was with a large group of demonstrators along University Avenue when gunfire rang out about 10:45 p.m., Atlanta police said.
In a cellphone video posted online, about 20 shots can be heard before a woman screams and falls to the ground. Other protesters surrounded her and yelled for the shooting to stop.
The next day, a 35-year-old man was also shot in the leg during a drive-by outside the Wendy's.
Both incidents happened amid reports of demonstrators blocking or restricting access to the area.
Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore said she has been in touch with the protesters and has visited the restaurant multiple times to try to get near it.
"I try to go once a day to access it," Moore said.
It is not clear if the protesters plan to return to the Wendy's at some point.
