The fired Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks and his partner were charged by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday, CBS News reports.
Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after fatally shooting the 27-year-old Brooks, was charged with 11 criminal counts, including felony murder.
Rolfe could face the death penalty or life without parole if convicted of murder.
Devin Brosnan, the second officer on the scene, was also charged with aggravated assault for stepping on Brooks after he was shot, and violation of oath of office.
DA Paul Howard said that Brosnan has agreed to testify against Rolfe though his lawyer disputed that claim.
The two officers found Brooks asleep in his car outside a Wendy’s on Friday. Police tried to arrest him after he failed a sobriety test, which led to struggle. Brooks wrestled a Taser away from an officer and tried to run away. Police say Brooks pointed the Taser at police when Rolfe shot his weapon. An autopsy showed he was shot twice in the back and listed his cause of death as homicide.
Rolfe kicked Brooks after shooting, DA says:
Howard said Rolfe kicked Brooks after the shooting while Brosnan stood on Brooks’ shoulders.
"After Mr. Brooks was shot, for some period of two minutes and 12 seconds, their was no medical attention applied to Mr. Brooks,” Howard said. “Based on the way these officers conducted themselves while Mr. Brooks was lying there, that the demeanor of the officers immediately after the shooting, did not reflect any fear or danger of Mr. Brooks. But their actions really reflected other kinds of emotions.”
Atlanta cops call out sick:
Numerous Atlanta cops called out sick hours after the charges were announced.
It is unclear how many officers called out sick.
“We do have enough officers to cover us through the night,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN. “Our streets won’t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out.”
“We have other partners across the metropolitan area, including assistance from the state and from the county and from other jurisdictions,” she added. “So, we will be fine.”
