Atlanta Police have terminated the employment of the white officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, as the restaurant where the black man died was set ablaze during a protest Saturday night, per the Washington Post.
Driving the news: The death of Brooks triggered a wave of unrest in Atlanta on Saturday night, with the Wendy's restaurant where 27-year-old died the previous evening set ablaze during a demonstration as protesters blocked traffic on a highway close by, AP reports.
- Police responded with tear gas and flash grenades, according to the New York Times.
- Atlanta Police told CNN officers arrested at least 36 people over the incident.
Details: Atlanta Police Spokesman Carlos Campos said early Sunday that Garrett Rolfe had been with the police department for seven years before he was fired, WSB-TV Atlanta reports. Another officer who was present during Brooks' shooting, Devin Bronsan, was placed on administrative duty, AP notes.
APD has identified the two APD officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. (Left) Devin Bronsan has been placed on administrative leave. (Right) Garrett Rolfe has been fired after firing deadly shots. Bronsan joined the department in 2018; Rolfe joined in 2013 pic.twitter.com/kSxekwUhuA
— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) June 14, 2020
The big picture: The action against the officers came hours after Atlanta Police Chief Police Erika Shields tendered her resignation following the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announcement Friday that it had launched a review into Brooks' shooting.
- A lawyer for the Brooks family disputed during a news conference Saturday night the official account that the shooting happened after Brooks failed a sobriety test, saying witnesses his team had spoken with did not see this.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
