ATLANTA _ An Atlanta protest organizer is one of two people who were arrested on arson charges Thursday in connection with the fire at the Wendy's restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was killed, authorities said.
Atlanta fire spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford confirmed that John Wade, 33, and Chisom Kingston, 23, have both been taken into custody in connection with the June 13 blaze.
Wade was one of several people who organized large demonstrations across Atlanta in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police, authorities confirmed.
On Wednesday, Atlanta Fire and Rescue released a photo of two men seen standing outside the University Avenue restaurant about the time of the fire.
One of the people in the photograph is Kingston, authorities said. Wade was not in the photo.
The Wendy's was destroyed during a large protest the day after Brooks was shot and killed by Atlanta police following an attempted DUI arrest in the drive-thru line. The 27-year-old's death set off another round of protests against police violence across the city and led to criminal charges against the two officers involved.
Late last month, 29-year-old Natalie White was arrested on arson charges in connection with the blaze. She has since been released on bond.
When Brooks was questioned by police in the Wendy's parking lot shortly before he was shot, he could be heard telling officers he had been with a girlfriend whom he identified as "Natalie White." White's attorney Drew Findling told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the two knew each other and had a "close relationship."
Both Wade and Kingston have been charged with first-degree arson and remain held at the Fulton County Jail, online records show.
